
Aug. 24, 1871] 
not only of Hindostan, but of every nation on the globe. There- 
fore, he was of opinion that such an influential body as the 
British Association would do well to exert its influence in ob- 
taining for the natives of India a more thorough scientific edu- 
cation. 
The time of this section on Monday, August 7, was chiefly 
occupied by debating the administration of the Poor-law Refor- 
matories and kindred subjects not suited to our columns, Ina 
paper on the Setentific Aspects of Children’s Hospitals, Dr. 
William Stephenson endeavoured to show how far their general 
management tended to promote the twofold object for which they 
were called into existence—namely, the relief of the children of 
the poor and scientific instruction in the diseases of children—and 
what external causes were at work to check the full development 
of the influences they exerted. He pointed out the importance 
of such institutions as the Sick Children’s Hospital, in the way 
of extending the knowledge of the diseases of children among 
students of medicine, and also in the way of training nurses both 
for the hospital and for the family. 
On Tuesday, the paper which excited the greatest interest and 
most animated discussion was by Miss Lydia Becker, Ox some 
Maxims of Political Economy as applied to the Employment of 
Women and the Education of Girls ; and this was follawed by 
one on Waval Lffictency and Dockyard Economy, by Mr. Charles 
Lamport, and by others on Land Tenure and the Assessment of 
the Loor, concluding the busiuess of this section, 
SECTION G, 
ON the opening day of the Association, Mr. Thomas Steven- 
son, C.E., in introducing the subject of a Proposed Auto- 
matic Gauge for the Discharge over Waste Weirs, said that 
in order to ascertain the amount of available rainfall, which 
was so important in questions of water supply, it was neces- 
sary to gauge the quantity of water which escaped at the waste 
weirs of reservoirs. Observations made only once or twice a day 
could not supply the information,. He proposed to place a tube 
perforated vertically with small holes, the lowest of which was 
on a level with the top of the waste weir, so that whenever water 
passed over the weir, it also passed through the holes in the tube. 
The water was collected in a tank capable of holding the dis- 
charge for a certain number of hours. The quantity so collected 
was a known submultiple of what passed over the weir. The 
discharge through the holes was ascertained by experiment. 
In the discussion which followed, different views were ex- 
pressed as to the practical value of Mr. Stevenson’s proposal, 
which was, however, favourably regarded by Prof. Rankine. 
A paper on A New Form of Salmon Ladders for Reservoirs was 
read by Mr. Alexander Leslie, C.E. The new form of salmon 
ladders for reservoirs of varying level, a model of which was ex- 
hibited, contemplates that on all occasions the whole outflow re- 
quired to run down the stream should be through only one sluice 
at a time, and over the top of that sluice, which would open by 
lowering, and shut by being raised, except in extreme foods, 
when, for the sake of keeping down the level of the lake, so as 
to avoid flooding the adjoining lands, or when from any other 
exceptional reason, such as an accumulation of ice, it may be 
necessary to provide a lower outlet or the means for a more rapid 
discharge. Assuming the rise of the lake to be 12 feet, and that 
it is full, or up to the level of the waste weir, the uppermost 
sluice is opened, so that the water may flow over it to the depth 
of, say, from 9 to 12 inches, and then run down.the inclined plane 
of, say, 10 feet in width, composed of a series of pools formed 
by stops reaching quite across from wall to wall, the fall from 
surface to surface of those stops being 18 inches, and the depth 
of each pool being not less than 3 feet. The fish may then easily 
leap over the successive falls, seven in number, after which they 
must take the last leap over the sluice into the lake, the last leap 
being at first like all the rest, 18 inches, but diminishing in 
height as the level of the lake is lowered, till at last it is nothing, 
when the level of the lake comes to be the same as that of the 
pool. The paper went on to describe the process of the working 
of the machine when the lake gets too low to give the requisite 
supply of water over the top, and concluded by stating that it 
would be preferable not to make the ladder above 18 inches. On 
that point, however, the author did not offer any decided opinion, 
but left it an open question. 
The next paper was by Mr. R. A. Peacock, C.E., Jersey, on 
A Chain Cable Testing and proposed New Link. The paper pro- 
posed to provide a new testing link, which, it was believed, would 
be found useful in yarious ways. ‘he following is a description 
NATURE 




oie d/ 

for a cable of which the metal would be one inch in diameter :— 
Let the cable manufacturer provide himself with a number of 
plates of rolled iron, of the same quality as the cylindrical bars 
of iron of which the ordinary links are made. The thickness of 
each plate is to be equal to the diameter of the bar from which 
it is provided, ight links will have to be punched out of the 
plates by means of a steam punch, One new link, when filed 
half round, will be placed longitudinally at each extremity of the 
cable, with which it will be connected. A new link, after being 
filed as aforesaid, will be inserted longitudinally at every fifteen 
fathoms in each cable, so as to form a part or parts of the cable ; 
and ouch cable being about 150 fathoms long, will require eight 
new links, 
A paper On Road Steamers, by Mr. R. W. Thomson, Edin- 
burgh, was read by Mr. Miall. In the outset, the paper alluded 
to the importance of road steamers and the difficulties which had 
been encountered in arriving at the present stage of perfection 
with these machines, A uniformity in the working of the engine 
having been reached, a thick carpet of india-rubber for the tires 
of the wheels was introduced, which much improved the running 
on roads. These india-rubber tires not only completely pre- 
vented hard shocks to the machinery, but saved the road from 
the grinding action of the iron wheels which was so injurious to 
by-ways. ‘There had been serious objections made to the use of 
these engines by peoplé interested in the roads, but the author 
could assure them that the india-rubber tires actually improved 
the roads. The paper went on to refer to rigid tires as used for 
road steamers, and stated that the amount of adhesion obtained 
by this tire was much less than by the india-rubber kind. The 
latter kind took a firm hold of the road, whatever might be the 
nature of the surface. The only ground upon which india-rubber 
tires did not work well was where the soil was extremely wet or 
of a very soft nature. For farm work the wheels of the engine 
required a much thicker coat of india-rubber. 
Mr. Robert Fairlie read a paper Ox the Gauge of Railways. 
The author argues for the narrower gauge, and says :—Experience 
has shown that 3ft. 6in. can be made a highly economical and 
efficient width, but it does not by any means follow that it is the 
most serviceableand most efficient, any more than it follows that the 
accidental 4{t. 83in. was all that could be desired, even though 
an Act of Parliament had madeit an article of belief. On the con- 
trary, as our knowledge and experience increase, we are enabled 
to approach more and more nearly to that happy mean on either 
side of which is error, While, on the one hand, there is every 
necessity for obtaining such a gauge as will afford a good and 
useful width of vehicles, on the other it is necessary to avoid 
such narrow limits as would necessitate the introduction of too 
great overhang on each side of the rails. The 3ft. gauge appears 
to me to comply with all the necessary conditions better than any 
other, and it is from no mere theorising that I lend all the 
influence I have towards itsadoption. There isa certain amount 
of saving in first cost as compared with the 3ft. 6in., not a large 
amount, but worth considering. This, however, I leave out of 
the discussion for the present. The all-important matters are to 
place upon the rails a thoroughly efficient stock that shall possess 
a maximum of capacity and a minimum of weight, and to supply 
engine-power under the most economical circumstances, and I 
hold it to be easier to accomplish these objects on the 3ft. gauge 
than upon any other. I am led to this conclusion both by a 
comparison of the actual work doneon the railways of the 3ft, 6in. 
gauge, with that which can be accomplished with the 3ft. gauge, 
and because, having in view the practical requirements of goods 
traffic, I find that I can obtain an ample floor area with less deed 
weight than can be secured by any other width ; on a wider 
gauge the dead-weight increases, on a narrower one the capacity 
diminishes. He quoted figures to show that to carry 50 tons of 
goods on the Norwegian or (Jueensland 3ft. 6in. gauge, the propor- 
tion of one ton per waggon being preserved, 92 per cent. of the 
weight of rolling stock used on the 4ft. 83in. would be required ; as 
against only 43 per cent. on a 3ft. gauge, showing a saving of 47 
per cent. on the latter as compared with the 3ft. 6in. Of course, 
if the waggons were loaded up to full capacity, these percentages 
would be very much changed. It is to this point especially that 
I wish to direct your attention, as upon it the economy of the 
3ft. gauge rests. Whatever saving may be effected in first cost 
may be lost sight of, the great advantage lying in the saving 
effected in working expenses. Every ton of dead weight saved 
goes towards securing the prosperity of the line, and if we 
can obtain the ample platform which the 3ft. gauge gives, com- 
bined with so much saving in weight, nothing is lelt to be desired, 
