1855.] 



MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. 



341 



]>lisccllaiicous TutcUigeucc. 



Adulteration of Oils. — -The detection of oils obtained from the 

 crnciferous vegetables, such as colza, rape, camelina, mustard, when 

 mixed with other oils, has hitherto been a matter of some difficulty. 

 The following test is proposed by Miahle : — 25 to 35 grammes of the 

 oil in question are; boiled in a porcelain capsule, with two grammes of 

 pure caustic potash (prepared with alcohol) dissolved in 20 grammes of 

 distilled water. After boiling for a few minutes, it is thrown upon a 

 filter previously moistened, and the alkaline liquor flowing from it is 

 tested with paper impregnated with acetate of lead or nitrate of silver. 

 A black stain, showing the presence of sulphur, indicates that one of 

 the above oils has been added. A still more delicate method is to boil 

 the mixture in a silver capsule, which will be blackened if one of the 

 above oils bo present even to the proportion of one per cent. — Artizan. 



COPPEE Coinage. — In 1844, Sir J. Morrison estimated the weight 

 of the copper coins of this country to be 5,000 tons. In the past year 

 alone, there were added 270 tons, forming above 25 million of single 

 pieces, viz., 6,800,000 pennies, 12,400,000 halfpennies, and 6,500,000 

 farthings, copper coinage. 



Oil and Alcohol. — A letter from Algiers-, of the 15th Inst., says 

 that M. Duplat, a chemist attached to the military hospital at Blidah, 

 had succeeded in producing oil and alcohol by distillation from acorns 

 growing in the oak forests which cover Mount Atlas. One hundred 

 pounds weight of acorns produced half-a-pound of oil and five pounds 

 of alcohol, perfectly suited for chemical purposes. — Times Farix Cor- 

 respondent. 



Steam Fieb-Enqines. — The Cincinnati Commercial contains the re- 

 port of a Committee of citizens to witness the performances of a new 

 steam fire-engine, named "Young America," and built in the machine 

 shop of Abel Shawk, and according to his patent. In this report it is 

 stated, that in twelve minutes exactly, from applying the match, the 

 engine commenced its work, and the pumping of water began. Tho 

 first experiment was made by using a nozzle 11 inches in diameter, 

 playing horizontally, the water being thrown 210 feet. The next ex- 

 periment was with a nozzle IJ inches in di.ameter, in the same direc- 

 tion. Upon actual measurement, it was found that the water had 

 been fairly thrown a distance of two hundred and tiventy-nine feet and 

 four inches. It also forced a stream of water through the IJ- inch 

 nozzle ten feet over the tower of the Mechanics' Institute, 160 feet 

 high ; and had the wind not been so strong, it would have thrown the 

 stream higher still. The Committee, after a number of experiments, 

 unhesitatingly declared, they were perfectly satisfied, and considered 

 the engine a triumph of which Cincinnati might be proud. 



Telegraph to India. — The remainder of the submarine telegraph 

 cable required to complete the communication to Algiers via Corsica 

 and Sardinia has just been shipped from the manufactory at Green- 

 wich. It is 162 miles in length, containing six conducting wires, and 

 weighing 1,250, tons. It will be laid from the southernmost point of 

 Sardinia to the coast of Africa, near Algiers, and is regarded by the 

 parties connected with the undertaking as the commencement of a lino 

 to India and Australia, via Malta, originally projected by them. 



From Cape Spartivento the compiiny proposes to go to Malta, and, 

 arrived there, to stretch one line of telegraph by Corfu across the isth- 

 mus of Greece to Constantinople, and another by Alexandria, Suez, 

 Aden, and the coast of Arabia to Kurachee, where communication with 

 the Indian system will be established. For the completion of this ex- 

 tensive route not more than 1,000,000/. of capital would be required, 

 and it is confidently asserted that the whole might be finished in two 

 years and a-half. 



Important Discovert. — It was stated a few days since by Sir Wal- 

 ter C. Trevclyan, at a meeting of the Somerset Archicologicnl Society, 

 of which he is President, that a discovery bad been made in the Bren- 

 don-hills, Somerset, of _a vast quantity of carbonate of iron. This 

 metal has heretofore been obtained chiefly from Silesia, and is used for 

 tho manufacture of steel. Tho size of tho vein in these hills is said to 

 far exceed that in the continental mines, and the discovery promises to 

 bo of groat value, the amount annually expended in the purchase of 

 this description of iron being about three quarters of a million sterling. 



Canadian Teleorapu Companies. — There are three Telegraph 

 Companies, whose wires extend throughout the Province, viz. : tho 

 Jlontrcal Telegraph, the British American Telegraph, anil the Grand 

 Trunk Telegraph Companies. Tho office of tho fir.st is in the Mon- 



treal Exchange, and its wires work direct to evei-y important town in 

 Canada, to Portland and all intermediate stations on the Grand Trunk 

 Railway, to Boston by two distinct lines, to New York via Troy (the 

 only direct route) and connect with lines to all parts of the United 

 States and the Eastern Provinces. The British American Telegraph 

 Company, ofiice, St. Francois Xavier Street. This line runs from 

 Quebec to Halifax direct, and to all ports below Quebec. Its wire 

 also extends to Montreal and connects with the Grand Trunk Tele- 

 graph wires in this city, — these latter having connection with every 

 town and village of any importance between Montreal and Buifalo. 

 The average charge of messages is about 8d. currency for 10 words 

 per 100 miles. — Canadian Railway and Steamboat Guide. 



Suspension Bridge over the Dnieper at Kieff. — There is in 

 the gallery at the Crystal Palace a beautiful model of the suspension 

 bridge erected by our countryman and engineer, VignoUes, over the 

 Dnieper, at Kieif, for the Emperor of Russia. It is on a scale of 1 inch 

 to 8 feet, was constructed by Mr. Jabez James, Broadwall, Lambeth, 

 and assistants, and is a perfect representation, even in its most minute 

 details, of the oi'iginal. Thij bridge is 2562 ft., or nearly half a mile 

 in length, 52i ft. wide, each of the four openings between the piers, 

 440 ft., and two side openings 225 ft. each. A swivel bridge at one end 

 for the passage of ships, is 50 ft. clear in the opening ; the water 

 way at highest floods 2140 feet. The test load was 3000 tons, and it 

 is calculated to bear 2350 tons. The clear height from the foundations 

 of the piers is 112 feet. It was commenced on Sept. 9, 1848, and 

 opened Oct. 10, 1853. 



Immigration into Canada. — The annual returns of the immigration 

 into Canada during the past year have just been published, and show 

 a large increase, the total from the united kingdom and the continent 

 of Europe having been 53,183, against 30,699 in 1853. The average 

 length of the passage from tho united kingdom was 47 days, and from 

 continental ports 58 days. By the steamers from Liverpool it was 

 16 days. Since 1851 the emigration from Ireland to Canada has 

 shown a great excess of females over males, tlie result, probably of 

 men who have succeeded well in the colony having sent remittances for 

 their relatives to join them. Last year the excess was 2,209 women, 

 being double that of tho previous year. Three vessels were lost dur- 

 ing the season, but without any sacrifice of life. Scarcely any com- 

 plaints were made of infringements of the Passenger Act, but some 

 defects of that Act were rendered apparent, which call for remedy. 

 The chief of these is the system of issuing the provisions in an uncook- 

 ed state, the struggle for the use of the stoves leading to violence and 

 oppression on the part of the strong over the weak and timid. Of the 

 total 53,183 immigrants, 35,132 were of British origin, the remaining 

 18,051 being foreigners. Of these 14,000 British and 8,000 foreigners 

 passed through to the United States, and the number that remained as 

 permanent settlers in Canada was therefore 31,183. In addition there 

 was an accession of 6,000 or 7,000 to the population of the province 

 by persons arriving from the United States. The disposition to settle 

 permanently in Canada is stated to have been stronger than at any for- 

 mer period. This is attributed partly to the depressed condition of 

 business in the United States and partly to the cfiects of the Know- 

 Nothing movement against foreigners. A body of 50 or 60 Norwegi- 

 ans, who have settled near Sherbrooke, are regarded as very valuable 

 colonists, and a strong hope is entertained that they may be the means 

 of attracting further arrivals. 



Protection of Iron from Oxid.vtion. — M. Paris has discovered a 

 vitreous enamel, which will stand the test of any chemical or physical 

 action to which it may be subjected. Some experiments fully prove 

 that the adherence is perfect, and that tho enamel resists the most 

 violent shocks without cracking, although tlie iron it covers may be 

 completely bent ; it does not peel off or take fire by the action of heat ; 

 and concentrated acids can be kept at tho boiling point for a consid- 

 erable period in vessels protected by it. These qualities will enable the 

 use of iron, where glass, silver, gold, or platina has only hitherto been 

 employed. It is also proposed to apply tho iuvcntiou more especially 

 to the lining of water and gas pipes, covering roofs, and sheathing 

 ships, anchors, &c. — Mining Journal. 



Er.RVTA. — Pago 325 — third lino from bottom of first col anm — for 

 " Vctutiuus," road " Telutinus." 

 Pngo 325 — second column, lino 16 — for " Thumb," road 

 " Thunb." 



