562 Chronicles of Science. [Oct., 



science and practice of the iron and steel manufacture, both at 

 home and abroad. The foreign editorship of the journal is to be 

 conducted by Mr. David Forbes. Several very interesting and im- 

 portant papers were read and discussed at the Merthyr meeting. 

 "We can only find space to indicate the subjects upon which they 

 treated. 



I. " The Geological Features of the South Wales Coal-field." 

 By Mr. William Adams, Cardiff. In this paper the extent of the 

 coal supply of South Wales was put down at 36,000,000,000 tons, 

 even after making a very liberal allowance for faults, waste, loss in 

 working, &c. 



II. " On Pumping and Winding Machinery at the Castle Pit, 

 Cyfarthfa." By G. C. Pearce, Cyfarthfa Iron-works. This was a 

 short paper describing some recently-erected machinery of a superior 

 character, and which was carefully inspected in operation by the 

 members. 



III. "On the Condition of Carbon and Silicon in Iron and 

 Steel." By Mr. Geo. J. Snelus, Associate of the Boyal School of 

 Mines. This was the longest and most elaborate paper read at the 

 meeting. In it the author showed that he had struck out a new 

 path, a method, or rather methods, of mechanically separating the 

 carbon and silicon contained in iron and steel, which will doubtless 

 prove to be a valuable supplement to the ordinary methods of 

 chemical research. 



IV. " On a New Form of Pyrometer." By Mr. C. W. Siemens, 

 C.E., F.B.S. The author described several kinds of pyrometers, 

 and then described and exhibited one constructed upon a plan 

 involved in the principle that the pure metals have the property of 

 offering an increasing resistance to the passage of an electrical 

 current with increase of temperature. 



Y. "On the Efficiency and Durability of Plain Cylindrical 

 Steam-Boilers." By Mr. Jeremiah Head, Middlesbrough. The 

 author of this paper gave an account of a new method of suspend- 

 ing or supporting plain cylindrical boilers so as to prevent explo- 

 sions. Out of nearly 18,000 boilers on the books of the boiler 

 insurance companies, 22 * 7 per cent, are of this sort, thus showing 

 that they are much in request. A method of ensuring their safety 

 is therefore a thing much to be desired. 



Other two papers were set down for reading, but there was no 

 time left for them. One of them was by Mr. F. Kohn, C.E., and 

 the subject was, " On the Production of Alloys of Iron and Manga- 

 nese, and on their Application to the Manufacture of Steel." 



