1838] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



415 



may be briefly stated that its principle essentially 

 consists in so arranijinf; the form of the furnace 

 and position of the bars that the hiel is retjularly 

 advanced by crravitation upon inclined fire bars, 

 without the aid of machinery, or any apparatus 

 besides the simple instruments in common use )br 

 the manaffement of furnaces ; the carbon and 

 various infii%mmable gases are set free in the 

 process of combustion, antl being more charged 

 with the oxigen of the atmosphere and heat of 

 the fire, proceed through and over the fire, which 

 increasing in heat to ils termination, gr.adual- 

 ly subjects the less combustible gases to per- 

 fect combustion. Saving in fuel is thus eflisct- 

 ed ; for, in the present furnaces, these are not 

 only passed off unconsumed, but, by preventing 

 the ignition of more combustible materials, ne- 

 cessarily waste a large portion of the burning 

 fuel. Thus the prin)ary effect, in the operation of 

 the patent furnace, may be stated to be that of ob- 

 taining, at the termination of the furnace, that 

 intense degree of heat indispensable to the entire 

 combustion of the various substances emitted 

 from the burning fuel. It is needless to add, that 

 this produces extraordinary economy of fuel. This 

 invention is exhibited in the specification in 12 

 different forms, showing its application to every 

 description of furnace. The details are somewhat 

 varied ; but the most important part of the prin- 

 ciple, namely, the absolute combustion of the va- 

 pour is thus effected in all of them. 



From ttie Riclimond Enquirer. 

 BRIDGG ACROSS JAMES RIVER ON THE RICH- 

 MOND AND PETERSBURG RAILROAD. 



The CRTS have for some weeks past been ena- 

 bled to come from Petersburg to Manchester; but 

 not to the depot in this city, in consequence of the 

 bridge over the Janries river not being completed. 

 It is, however, very nearly finished — and it is said, 

 that the cars will be able to cross it on Saturday 

 (to-morrow) or Monday — when the distance from 

 Petersburg to Richmond, 22^ miles, will be run in 

 about I5 hour. It is impossible to speak of this 

 splendid bridge, in terms that are calculated to do 

 justice to our leelings. We walked over it yes- 

 terday morning — and struck as we had been, at a 

 distance, by this imposing edifice, our astonish- 

 ment and delight were augmented by a more fa- 

 miliar observation of the magnitude of the work 

 and the beauty of the execution. It forms not 

 only an ornament to our city, but it does honor to 

 Virginia — there is no edifice like it in all America. 

 It is 2,857^ feet long, from the abutment on the 

 Manchester side to the one on the Richmond side. 

 The terraced bank on the Manchester side, which 

 connects it with the heights, is 650 feet more. 

 The bridge is 61 feet above the low water mark 

 of the river, and 22 feet wide— with a double rail 

 on the top of it. It stands on 18 immense piers of 

 granite, which was fortunately so convenient to 

 the architect— and over the piers, is a chain of 

 double lattice work, 17^ feet from outside to out- 

 side, and sixteen feet high, restintr on the piers. 

 These sides are formed of plank, 3 by 12 inches, 

 crossing each other about 3 feet apart, and forming 

 diamond shaped openings. At each intersection, 

 they are firmly pinned with oak pins two inches 



in diameter. These sides are secured from the 

 weather l)y closely weather boarding. Upon these 

 the flooring rests, which is 22^ lecf wide. This 

 floor is made to raise in a curve fi-om the outer 

 edges of the floor to ils centre, in order to cast off 

 the water. The whole is coaled with pitch and 

 sand, making it both fire and water proof. A 

 hand-railing is placed upon the outer edges of the 

 floor for the whole length. The whole bridge is 

 well braced, horizontally and transversely. 



Many questions have been asked — What pre- 

 cautions are taken ao;ainst the effects of wind, of 

 fire and decay? The first is effiectually guarded 

 against by the mass of rock-work carried up and 

 fitted closely between the sides of the bridge, at 

 the top of the piers. This work is composed of 

 stone weighing upwards of a ton and a half each, 

 closely notched into each other, and joined with 

 iron bands. The lateral bracinij will also effec- 

 tually aid in preventing the effect from wind or 

 other forces. In addition to the security against 

 fire by covering the floor with a composition, there 

 will be 480 buckets hung upon the hand-railing of 

 the passage immediately under the floor of the 

 bridge, and kept constantly filled from the city 

 water-works. A guard will constantly be kept to 

 pass ovpr the bridge before and after the passage 

 of the trains. 



The main timber will be as little subject to de- 

 cay as those of an ordinary frame house, the water 

 being excluded by the flooring acting as a roofj 

 and the weather-boarding of the sides. 



The two track? upon the flooring will have 

 guard-rails parallel, and raised somewhat higher 

 than the ordinary rails, to prevent the Locomotive 

 engine or cars from being thrown out of the tracks. 



The whole cost of this bridge will be about 

 8115,000. 



The whole road and the bridge are under the 

 auspices and superintendence of Moncure Robin- 

 son esq., a native, Virginia born, engineer. Its 

 rock work was executed by Messrs. Benj. Green 

 and Merrill, and the wooden work by Mr. Nisbett. 



We defy any one to view this noble and stu- 

 pendous bridge, without admiration. It makes 

 one's head dizzy to look down to the river below. 

 Around are those beautiful islets, which add such 

 a charm to the river landscape — and above and 

 below are picturesque views of the city, of the 

 public buildings, and the most prominent of them, 

 the Capitol of the metropolis of the state, which 

 will tempt the citizen to make it his favorite pro- 

 menade. 



This railroad, thus on the point of accomplish- 

 ment, constitutes a new link in that immense rail- 

 road, which is destined to run from the Highlands 

 of Maine to the Gulf of Mexico. It immediate- 

 ly connects the railroad to Fredericksburg, with 

 the Petersburg and Roanoke road. When any 

 one asks with a sneer, ''what has Virginia done 

 (or internal improvement?" we say, "if at nothing 

 else, look at these three railroads; and look at our 

 noble bridge." 



From the Genesee Farmer. 

 BREEDING OF BEARS. 



The Journal des Haras, a French publication, in 

 describing the breeding of cattle, horses, sheep, 

 &c., in Russia and Poland, thus describes a source 



