1855.] 



MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. 



17 



the ratio of 1 to -706, being an increase of nearly one-third on the crystal- 

 ized metal when solidified under about six times the pressure. From 

 these facts Mr. Fairbairn observed, it is evident that tlie power of bodies 

 to resist strain is greatly increased when solidified under pressure ; and he 

 said he considered it highly probable that the time is not lar distant when 

 the resisting powers of metals, as well as their densities, may be in- 

 creased torsuch an extent as to ensure not only greater securit}-, but 

 greater economy by solidification under pressure. He said he was 

 borne out in these views by the fact, that the specific gravities of the 

 bodies experimented on were increased in a given ratio to the pressure. 

 Spermaceti solidified under a pressure of 908 lb. on the square inch had 

 a specific gravity of 0-948.59 ; whilst that solidified under a pressure of 

 5,698 lb. had its specific gravity increased to 0,95-195. The specific 

 gravity of tin solidified under a pressure of 908 lb. was 7-3063; and 

 that solidified under a pressure of 5,698 lb. was 7-3154, which gave 

 •0091 as the increased density from pressure. There are further ex- 

 periments in progress to determine the law that governs this increase 

 of specific gravity, and to determine the conducting powers of bodies 

 solidified under severe pressure. Experiments have also been made on 

 Buch substances as clay, charcoal and different kinds of timber. From 

 the experiments on powdered dry clay, it appeared that a bar of that 

 substance 31 inches long and IJ- inch diameter, after being hammered 

 into the cj-linder, so as to become slightly consolidated, was reduced 

 in bulk witli a pressure of 9,940 lb. on the square inch to 2-958 ; with 

 a pressure of 54,.5801b. to 2-3; with 76,084 lb. to 2-288; and with a 

 pressure of 97,588 lb. to 2-195 inches. 



A New Aritlimometei-9 or Caleulating Macliiue.* 



BY 51. T. DE COLMAH, PRESENTED BY TUE ABB£ MOIGXO. 



As the AbbcS spoke English with difficulty, he requested Professor 

 Wilson to explain the machine to the Section. The machine, 

 which was very beautifully executed, consisted of an oblong box, 

 about thirty inches long by six inches wide. On the face, the 

 machine was furnished with a handle to turn round a number of 

 small holes, at which the digits of the common arithmetic scale, 1, 2, 

 3, 4, u, G, 7, 8, 9, 0, made their appearance as the machine worked, 

 and which finally gave the answer. In this machine they were eight 

 in number, but they might be extended to any number. To each of 

 these was an index to be set to the required digit, engraved on a small 

 attached vertical scale, and a small ivory ball to bo moved along its 

 scale according to certain simple rules, as the operation to be con- 

 ducted by the machine varied from addition to multiplication, &c. 

 Upon drawing out the sliding bottom of the machine, the machinery 

 was exposed to view. This, though simple, could not be intelligibly 

 explained without the machine or diagrams. The chief part of it 

 consisted of eight cylinders so arranged that, as they turned, the digits, 

 enamelled on a circle at their upper parts, came in succession to the 

 holes in the face ; while by a number of indentations arranged spirally 

 round them the digit to which the index was set would be stopped at 

 the hole on the face at the digit corresponding to that at which the 

 index was set ; while by a set of pinions a connexion was given to them 

 something similar to that in the common bank-note machine, so that 

 addition could be performed and the result appear on t^o face : — thus 

 by turning the handle onceiMhe number itself appeared ; by turning 

 a twice every digit in it was doubled, and the result appeared above 

 it twice the number originally set, and so on with any multiple of the 

 number so set ; then by moving the ivory ball any simple multiple of 

 10 times, 100 times, 1,000 times, and so the number set could be 

 obtained and added to those previousl3' obtained, and thus the opera- 

 tion of multiplication performed of any number by any number to the 

 extent the machine could give, in this case up to 90,999,999 or nearly 

 100,000,000. The Professor then exemplified this, by setting a largo 

 number and multiplying it by a number which consisted of three 

 digits. He then explained how the other operations were to be per- 

 formed, showing that the macliine could add, subtract, multiply, divide, 

 raise to an integer power, or extract the square or cube root with pre- 

 cision and rapidity. The price of the machine exhibited was £50. 



On tUc Cause of the I'hcuoniena exhibited by the Gcysors of 

 loclnucl, * 



BY Dr. STIirUE:«SON MACAD.\>I. 



These Geysers were singled out, because our knowledge of them 

 is such as to entitle us to speculate on the force at work; 

 but, at the same time, it is highly probable that a theory which 



• Meetini; oftlio British As-sorifltinri in ISM. — AttiftKrHm. 



will explain the Iceland Geysers will also account for those 

 found in California. These Geysers are essentially intermittent 

 hot springs from which, at intervals, there issue successive jets of 

 water, and thereafter immense volumes of steam. When these have 

 been ejected, the Geysers remain quiescent for a longer or shorter time, 

 In endeavouring to account for the phenomena in question, the author 

 assumes that there exists in connexion with each Geyser a subterranean 

 chamber, the floor of which is of a roundish form, and at a tempera- 

 ture of not less than 340° Fahr. At or near the roof there are fissures 

 communicating with springs or reservoirs of water, by which the 

 latter may be allowed to flow into the caverns, — the tube which passes 

 from the cavity to the surface of the earth taking its rise from the side 

 of the chamber and very near the lowest part. Without entering into 

 details, the author assumed this tube (as other writers on the Geysers 

 have done) to be somewhat like an inverted syphon ; the shorter limb 

 of which communicates with the chamber, whilst the longer limb, 

 pursuing a tortuous course upwards, forms the exit or omission tube 

 of the Geyser. Water finds access by the fissures into the cavity, 

 where, from the high temperature of the matter it falls upon, it is 

 immediately compelled to assume the spheroidal condition ; its temper- 

 ature while in that state being 205-7° Fahr. The water gradually 

 accumulates, till at last so much has entered the cavity that the heated 

 floor can no longer keep the liquid in the spheroidal state, the water 

 in consequence touches the mineral surface ; its temperature is almost 

 instantly raised to 212° Fahr. ; and large volumes of steam are gener- 

 ated. This steam, in its passage to the mouth of the Geyser, encoun- 

 ters a body of water which it raises to the boiling point, and thereafter 

 when no more steam can be condensed it forces the heated water from 

 the conduit. The propelling agent having thus cleared a p.ith for it- 

 self, the steam escapes in large volumes, with a rushing sound more or 

 less violent. The author, by means of diagrams, illustrated the vari- 

 ous forms which the Geyser might be suppposed to present in its 

 internal mechanism. He considered it quite possi'jle that the details 

 given might require to be modified. What he wished to bring promi- 

 nently forward was, that the spheroidicity of water afforded a means 

 of accounting for the intermittence of the hot springs. 



On the Silurian Antliracite of Cavan* * 



BY DB. WHITTY. 



The anther described this deposit as abed of soft anthracite orculm, 

 about 4 feet thick, occurring in dark grey clay-slate, dipping 80° 

 south-east, with an average strike of 37° west of north. The slaty rock 

 occurs alternately with beds of shale and conglomerate, much altered by 

 metamorphic action. The bed of anthracite varied its direction, but 

 seldom more than a few degrees ; it appeared to have sufli'ered much 

 by compression and dislocation, diminishing in a short space to a few 

 inches in thickness, or giving off spurs into the slate rock ; portions of 

 the slate were also included in the culm. Its composition was carbon, 

 77-64; water, 4-35 ; ash, 181. For burning it required mixture with 

 wood or turf. It might be worked like the cornish mines, being nearly 

 vertical, and the water brought out by an adit, without pumping. The 

 value of culm in Cavan was 8 to 10 shillings per ton ; of coal, 24 

 shillings per ton ; the culm would be of value for lime-burning. — Dr. 

 Griffiths stated that he had not met with anthracite elsewhere in the 

 grauwacke of Ireland ; if this bed could be traced at the surface for a 

 long distance it might be worked like a mineral vein. — -Prof, llarkness 

 said, that the attempt to work Silurian anthracite in Scotland had been 

 unsuccessful. 



CoLONiAi, Postage. — There arc now thirty-three British colonies, to 

 and from which tli e letter postage has been reduced to Gd. In fourteen 

 of these colonies the postal arrangements are under the control of the 

 local colonial authorities, viz., Ceylon, Triniilnd. Harbadocs, Bermuda, 

 Canada, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Prince Edward's Island, St. Hele- 

 na, the Gold Coast, New Brunswick, New South Wales, South Australia, 

 and Victoria : in the remaining nineteen colonies the posts arc controlled 

 by the British Postmaster-General, viz., Hong-Kong, Antigua, Gibral- 

 tar, Granada, Malta, Cerbico. Honduras, Demcrara, Bahamas, Cariaco, 

 .lamacia, Tobago, St. Vincent, Montsen-at. St. Lucia, Nevis, St. Kitt's, 

 Tortola and Dominica. The whole of the 0(/. private-ship letter rate 

 belongs to the British post-office for lettei-s to or from the latter-men- 

 tioned colonies : and on letters to and from the other colonics the (id. 

 private-ship letter rate is divided equally between the local, colonial 

 and British Governments. 



• McodnR oftho Brltl.sli AMOclntion In ISM.— ^(AriHriim. 



