332 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



^October, 



added as before, to a charge of 5 cwt. of pig iron, melted at. a while lieat, 

 20 lb. slag to be added. The mass, after being properly worked, is made into 

 balls, hammer and rolled. For cast-steel, the mass is treated in. the same 

 way as last described, as regards the mixture, but not puddled or balled, 

 a blast furnace may be used. The charge being tapped, and run into a bed, 

 for making a plate, IS inch thick, the slag will rise to the surface, and upon 

 being cooled by sprinkling water, it will be easily separated when cold. Tin; 

 plate is then broken up, and rcmelted in crucibles or pots, in a blast furnace, 

 in the following manner :— To 281b. of the plate obtained as last described, 

 add U lb. green bottle glass, 8 oz. pearl ash, or 16 oz. carbonate of soda, and 

 8 oz. black oxide of manganese, all to be stirred up in the melled iron ; and, 

 when cast into ingots, cast steel will be formed. 



The second part of the invention relates to the peculiar construction of a 

 blast furnace, consisting of a furnace formed of an iron pot, 2 feet G inches 

 high, and 3 feet in diameter, with 8 holes at equal distances, near to the 

 bottom, and round the side, to admit tlie blast more equally. The pots are 

 lined with fine clay, about 4 inches thick ; in the centre of the pot there is a 

 stand, formed of fine bricks, 1 foot high. Tlie pot is placed within a can, 

 made of firm iron plates, 2 feet 6 inches high, and 3 feet 8 inches in breadtli, 

 bolted together, and cemented, so as to form, with a circular plate at top, an 

 air-tight chamber, with a space of 3 inches left round tlie pot. The blast is 

 first admitted into this outer can, which forms au air chamber, by two or 

 more openings, by uhich means the air is more equally distributed through 

 the several openings into the [lot. 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH. 



Monday, Mth March, 1815. 

 Sir CcoEGE IMackenzie, Bart., in the Cliair. 



The following Communications were read : — 



1. On the improvement of Navigation in Tidal Hirers. By David Ste- 

 venson, Esq. 



Three compartments are painted out as existing in all rivers, when 

 viewed in connection with the sea, possessing diflerent characteristics, and 

 requiring different classes of works for their improvement. These are, 

 Jirst, the " sea proper," characterised by the presence of unimpaired tidal 

 phenomena, and including all works connected with tlie improvement of 

 bars. Second, the " tidal compartment of the river,'' characterised by the 

 modified flow of the tide, produced hy the inclination of the bed, and em- 

 bracing works connected with the straightening, wideniuj; or deepening 

 of the beds of rivers ; the formation of new cuts ; the erection of walls for 

 the guidance of tidal currents, and the shutting up of subsidiary channels. 

 And the third compartment is the '• river proper," wliich is characterized 

 by the absence of all tidal influence, the improvement of which is generally 

 eflfected by means of dams erected in the bed of the river, and forming 

 stretches of canal communication with each other by means of locks in the 

 dams. The practical remarks are confined to the improvement of the tidal 

 compartment only, which possesses sufficient importance to entitle it to 

 form the subject of a distinct communication ; the prosperity of the ports 

 of London, Bristol, Newcastle, (Jlasgow, and many other places, being 

 intimately connected with it. 



The author shows, that, owing to the smallness of the rivers of this com- 

 paratively narrow country, they can be advantageously navigated only 

 while their waters are deepened by the influx of the tide, and proposes, as 

 the surest means of effecting improvement, such works as produce an in- 

 crease in the duration of tidal injiuence. 



Instances of the success of the works are given. The rise on the bed 

 of the Tay from Newburgh to Perth (8 56 miles), in consequence of 

 works that ha\e been executed, has reduced from Jour to two feet. The 

 time occupied in the passage of the tidal wave between these places has 

 been decreasedjiftij minutes, and the speed with which it travels increased 

 1§ of a mile per hour. The duration of flood-tide at Perth has been 

 increastd fifttj minutes, and the time during which the river at that place 

 is uninfluenced by the tide, has been decreased fortij-Jive minutes. It is 

 also calculated that an additional quantity of sea water, amouuting, on 

 an average, to 700,560 tons, is propelled into, and again withdrawn from, 

 that part of the river extending above Newburgh every tide. At the 

 Ribble, in Lancashire, similar benefits have resulted from similar opera- 

 tions ; the lidal range at Preston having been increased between tliree and 

 Jour .feet, and the propagation of tlie tidal wave accelerated about forty 

 minutes. 



The following are the practical inferences which the author draws from 

 the facts brought forward : — 



First, that owing to the comparatively contracted country from the 

 drainage of which our rivers derive their supplies, it is chiefly from 

 increased duration of tidal influence that we must inyirovement in tide 

 navigation, the regulation of the fresh water stream being an operation of 

 ■secondary importance, but not, on that account, to be overlooked. 



Second, that the whole tidal phenomena of the navigation to be im- 

 proved ought to be ascertained, in order that the engineer may be enabled 

 to discover iu what part of the river the most prejudicial retardations of 

 the tidal wave, and obstructions of the current, take place, 



■Third, that in tracing these retardations to the proper cause, and 



suggesting means fer their removal, works should he adopted which do 

 not injuriously abstract tidal water from the sea channels. 



/■flurf/i, that the works best suited for attaining the desired and consist 

 chiefly in lowering the bed of the river, and removing all natural or arti- 

 ficial obstructions, and in erecting low rubble walls for the direction of the 

 currents. 



Fifth, that although general views of the nature of these operations may 

 be given, the precise details of such works as shall be best suited to par- 

 ticular localities can, in the present state of our information, be deter* 

 mined only by engineering experience. And, 



Lastly, that, by the execution of works designed in accordance with 

 these general views, very beneficial results have been, and may be pro- 

 duced, for a comparatively small expenditure. 



2. On the Solrenl Acti(m of Drainage Wafer on Soils. By Jofin Wilson, 

 Esq., F. G. S. Coiumuuicated by Dr. Gregory. 



The author, being resident for a time in East Lothian, in order to study 

 the system of agriculture, it occurred to him that the very extensive and 

 complete drainage must materially affect the soil by removing large quan- 

 tities of this soluble ingredient. 



He was disappointed, owing to an accident, in examining, quantita- 

 tively, the water which had been first collected for the purpose; but oa 

 examining, qualitatively, some that was collected after the drain had been 

 running very copiously (or 30 hours, he found it to contain 18'4 grains of 

 soluble matter per gallon. This was chiefly the usual salts of lime and 

 organic matter. 



He examined the surface and subsoils of the field, and found them to 

 contain, besides silica and alumina, iron, lime, and traces of magnesia, 

 with organic matter. The iron in the surface soil was in a state of pro- 

 toxice, but in the subsoil it was found peroxidised. 



The author concludes that the drainage water carries off a very large 

 quantity of the soluble matter of the soil, which he calculates as possibly 

 amounting to 775 lbs. per acre in the year, a quantity equivalent to a good 

 dose of manure. He recommends the adoption of some means to prevent 

 this great loss, and promises to continue his researches, and bring forward 

 more precise results. 



LIST OF NEW PATENTS. 



GRANTEn IM ENGLAND FROM AUGOST 21, TO SEPTEMBER 25, 1845. 



Six- Months allowed for Enrolment, unless otherwise expressed, 



Alfred \'inceQt Newton, of Chancery-lane, mechanical draftsman, for " certain improve* 

 meats in machinery for manufacturing India rubber fabrics." (Being a commuuication.) 

 — Sealed August 28. 



William Edward Newton, of Chancery-lane, civil engineer, for " improvements in ma- 

 chinery or apparatus for spinning." (Being a communication.) — August 28. 



Iklathieu Francois Isoard, of Paris, for " improvements in obtaining motive power." — 

 August 28. 



John Vaux, of Frederick-street, Gray's-inn Koad, gentleman, for " improvements in 

 apparatus for warming boots and shoes." — September 4. 



Henry Samuel Rayner, of Ripley, Derby, gentleman, for "certain improvements in lo- 

 comotive engines." — September 4. 



Henry Bewley, of Dublin, chemist, for *• certain improvements in flexible syringes, 

 tubes, botties, hose and other like vehicles and vessels." — September 4. 



Charles Larapitt, of Banbury, engineer, for **an improved dibbling machine." — Sept. 4^ 



Alexander Haig, of Great Carlisle-street, Portman-market, engineer, for *' certain im- 

 provements in machinery for ventilation and other similar purposes, to which the said 

 machinery can be applied." — September 4. 



Elisha Haydon Collier, of Goldsworthy-terrace, Rotherhithe, engineer, for "certain im- 

 provements in the manufacture of nails, and in the machinery or apparatus to be used for 

 such purposes " — September 11. 



Henry Dlandeville Meade, of New York, America, for " Improvements in distiUiug from 

 Indian corn and other grain." — September 18. 



Joseph Francois Lauberau, of Paris, gentleman, for "Improvements in obtaining 

 power." — September 18. 



Charles Hodgson Horsfall, of Liverpool, merchant, for " Improvements in the manu* 

 facture of iron." — September 18. 



William Eccles, of Blackburn, power-loom manufacturer, WiUiam Cook, of Livesey, 

 hand-loom weaver, and William Lancaster, power.loom weaver, of Blackburn, all of Lan- 

 caster, for " certain Improvements in looms for weaving." — September 18. 



Charles Blurland, of Castlewellan, Ireland, flax spinner, and Edward Lawson, of Leeds, 

 machine maker, for " certain Improvements in machinery for preparing andspinuing flax, 

 and other fibrous substances." — September 18. 



James Polkinghorue, the younger, of Hoxton, gentleman, for "certain Improvements 

 in treating ores, and in separating from them the metals which they contain." — Sept. 18, 



James Caldwell, of Broad street, IladclitF, engineer, for " Improvements in ships* rid- 

 ing bits, and in windlasses." — September 18. 



Stephen Higginson Perkins, of Charlotte-street, Bedford-square, for "certain Improve- 

 ments in the steam engine, and in its application to steam navigation." (Being a com- 

 munication.)— September 18. 



Edward Chrimes, of Rotherham, brass foimder, for '* Improvements in cocks and taps." 

 — September 25. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



" A. B ." We are unable to insert the paper, as a similar one, accompanied by a diagram 

 nearly identical with that sent, has already appeared iu our pages. 



A correspondent informs us that the cost of the Church at Birch, near Manchester, 

 was wrongly stated in our last number, it should be jf 3,500. 



"E. H." Before pubhshing the paper we wish to make a few remarks on some parts of 

 it, and shall feel obliged if the writer will send us his name, or at least an address, to 

 which we can direct a letter. 



BIr. Mullet's paper has not been sent to us. 



