April 13, 1871 | 
NATURE 
471 


various machinesin existence. The Committee proposed 
afterwards to verify the statistics given in by this gentleman. 
The subjects which these Commissions are investigating 
are of great interest and importance to the trade, and it 
is to be hoped that the gentlemen entrusted with the | 
inquiries will be able to prosecute them toa satisfactory 
issue. The paper by Mr. F. Kohn on the production of 
alloys of iron and manganese gave rise to a discussion, in 
which it was asserted that the manufacture of spiegeleisen | 
had at ler gth become an established fact in connection 
with the iron trade of this country, the Ebbw Vale 
Company having recently succeeded in extracting that 
material from the spathic iron ores of the Brendon Hills. 
Considering that this company have devoted a long time 
to the solution of this important question, it is satisfactory 
to find that they have been fortunate in this matter. The 
results obtained by the Terre Noire Company inthe pro- 
duction of a soft steel are very remarkable, as Sir W. 
Fairbairn testifies that in ductility this steel stands in the 
ratio of ‘219 per unit of length to ‘og2 of the Bessemer 
steel manufactured at Barrowfrom hematite ore. The steel 
in question was made by the use of ferromanganese made 
by Mr. Henderson’s process, and containing an average 
of 23 to 25 per cent. of metallic manganese. The pig 
iron is run directly from the blast furnace to the converters 
without mixing with other kinds of iron, and the rich 
ferromanganese is used instead of the ordinary spiegeleisen. 
Mr. Walker read a communication on modern appli- 
ances for reversing rolling mills, which introduced a notice 
of the principal arrangements now adopted for securing 
reversing action in rolling iron and steel. This is a 
matter of great importance, and has engaged the attention 
of engineers for some time past. The principal systems 
are—First, by reversing motion of the ordinary locomotive 
type; and, secondly, by friction clutches. The latter 
plan was most particularly described. It was stated that 
the polls can be reversed at any speed, and the mills fitted 
up on this method are remarkably effective. Mr. Ferrie 
contributed a paper upon an improved form of blast 
furnace recently introduced into Scotland. This differs 
from the furnace in ordinary use by the addition of about 
2oft. at the top, which is divided into four compartments, 
and the raw coal charged in at the top is coked in its 
passage down the vertical chambers. The practical 
results of the working of this furnace over a considerable 
period has been a saving of at least one ton of coal for 
each ton of iron produced. In the discussion it was 
maintained that the advantage derived by Mr. Fersie 
from the alteration of his furnace were mainly due to 
increased height ; but it was also advanced that with raw 
coal for fuel it would not be practicable as a rule to make 
furnaces 8o0ft. high work satisfactorily, Mr. Ferrie 
appears to have demonstrated that high furnaces using 
raw coal can be made to give as good results as are 
obtained in the more modern districts. Mr. Tate read a 
paper giving avery clear account of the distribution, extent, 
and value of the iron ores of Antrim, which are now 
coming into notice, and will doubtless very soon be 
extensively employed in the west coast and elsewhere in 
the manufacture of hematite iron. Mr. D. Forbes also 
read a paper on iron ore, his subject being a brief 
description of the central mining district of Sweden. He 
called attention to the immense deposits of iron ores of 
great purity that will soon be opened up by the construc- 
tion of a railway which will give direct access to the 
North Sea, and will thus render it feasible to import the 
Swedish ores into this country. The discussion on the 
Sherman process was interesting, but showed pretty 
clearly that the practical men who had taken the matter 
up, and had investigated it thoroughly, had not been able 
to arrive at any satisfactory results from it. Considering 
the nature of the chemical substances applied in the 
treatment of the iron by this process, it was only natural 
that such negative results should be obtained. 
| We must not omit to mention the lecture by Prof. 
| Roscoe on Wednesday evening on spectrum analysis in 
| its relation to the manufacture of iron and steel. There 
; was not very much to state with respect to recent dis- 
coveries in the application of spectrum analysis to the 
production of steel, but it was important that the trade 
| should know exactly what they might, and what they 
might not, expect from this delicate method of chemical 
investigation. Prof. Roscoe, in a very able and lucid 
| manner, Jaid before the members of the Institute all that 
| 1s at present known about the subject. One discovery by 
Mr. Snelus is likely to lead to good results. He has found 
that by the aid of the spectroscope he can predict the 
exact length of time that a “ blow” will last in the Besse- 
; mer converter, and he hopes to be able eventually to stop 
the operation at a time when a definite amount of carbon 
may be left in the molten iron, and thus the quantity of 
speigeleisen required to produce steel of a given quality 
will be reduced. 
The proceedings, on the whole, were of a thoroughly 
satisfactory character, and, considering the short time the 
Institute has been in existence, it seems highly probable 
that it will eventually occupy a position of much influence 
and importance. 


NOTES 
His ExceLLency the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland has been 
pleased to appoint Dr. R. O. Cunningham to the Professorship 
of Natural History in the Queen’s College, Belfast. The newly- 
appointed Professor is well-known as an enthusiastic naturalist. 
The pleasant post of Professor to the most successful of the 
Queen’s Colleges in Ireland is one that we are glad to see filled 
by the appointment of so estimable a man. 
WE rejoice to be able to ‘announce that the following 
Scholarships have been established by Gonville and Caius Col- 
lege, Cambridge, and hope it will not be long before all the 
other Colleges follow so good an example :—A Scholarship in 
Natural Science, tenable for four years from Lady-day, 1871, and - 
of value from 60/. to 20/., according to the candidate’s proficiency, 
will be awarded at this College in June next. The successful 
candidate will require to enter his name at this College forthwith, 
and to begin residence in October. There will be three distinct 
examinations, in any one (but in one only) of which the student 
may compete—namely, in (1) Chemistry and Experimental 
Physics ; (2) Zoology, with Comparative Anatomy and Physio- 
logy ; (3) Botany, with Vegetable Anatomy and Physiology. 
The examinations will be held on the 2nd of June. Candidates 
must send in their names, stating which subject they elect to be 
examined in, to Dr. Drosier, Gonville and Caius College, Cam- 
bridge, on or before the 15th of May, enclosing a certificate of 
good conduct from a graduate of one of the British Universities. 
THE vacancy in the curatorship of the Leeds Philosophical 
and Literary Society has been filled by the appointment of 
Mr. Louis C. Miall, curator to the Bradford Philosophical 
Society. Mr. Miall is already favourably known in Leeds, 
through the very interesting and successful lectures on Geology 
which he delivered at the Philosophical Hall last year, and he is 
at present engaged in the delivery of a course of lectures on 
Botany at the same place. He is the author of various papers 
and publications on Botany and Geology, more especially as 
affecting the West Riding. Mr. Miall’s candidature was strong’y 
supported by Profs. Owen, Huxley, and Rolleston ; and the 
Leeds Philosophical Society may be congratulated on his ap- 
pointment. 

WE are unable this week to give any report of scientific pre- 
ceedings in Paris: during the civil conflict every scientific 
movement is paralysed. ‘The sittings of the Academy are sus- 


