768 Report on the Trial of Railway- Waggons 
venient positions. The engineer had provided a small stage in 
the centre to carry the maximum and minimum thermometers, 
and also for supporting a wooden tube in which slided a ther- 
mometer which could be got at from the outside, and enabled 
the engineers to take frequent observations recorded in the 
interesting diagram (Fig. 8, p. 770) which accompanies Mr. 
Devonshire's notes. As soon as the process of packing was 
completed the doors were closed, locked, and sealed. 
Similar provisions were placed in the Swansea waggon, but 
some delay occurred in completing the ice-filling process, as the 
size of the material had to be reduced. The inside of this van 
had been recently painted, and afterwards whitewashed, with 
a view to remove the paint smell. The meat was carefully 
packed in calico sheetings, being arranged in exactly the same 
manner as in No. 1 van, and about 6.30 the waggon was closed 
and sealed. The history of the waggons during their journey, 
500 miles, and whilst standing at Kilburn, will be gathered 
from Mr. Devonshire's diary, which follows. 
Two waggons were entered for these trials, one by Colonel W. D. Mann, 
the other by the Swansea Waggon Company, the latter being the invention 
of Mr. K. Knott. 
The two waggons were loaded on the afternoon of Thursday, June 19th, 
at the Camden Goods Station, London and North- Western Railway, the 
engineers in charge having previously fixed in each waggon a stand to carry 
registering maximum and minimum thermometers, and a tube through the 
side through which an ordinary thermometer fixed to a long stick was 
inserted, for making observations of internal temperature from time to time 
throughout the trials. A wet and dry bulb thermometer was also placed in 
each waggon. The maximum and minimum thermometers were laid on wool 
in a box which formed part of the stand, fixed by coach-screws to the floor of 
the waggon. By this arrangement it was hoped that the eflects of jolting 
would be obviated, but on examination at the conclusion of the trials, the 
indices of the thermometers were found to have been displaced, owing no 
doubt to the unusually rough treatment which they necessarily experienced 
when the waggons were dragged into their places at the sho\vj-ard. 
The stick thermometero were found to answer admirably, and may be 
assumed to have given indications of the internal temperatures throughout 
the trials. The bulbs were wTapped round with a piece of linen, which 
rendered them less sensitive, so that in withdrawing the thermometers the 
external temperature did not affect the columns of mercury before time had 
been given for observation. 
The temperatures inside each waggon and outside in the shade were taken 
about every hour and a half during the trials. The results are shown in 
curves of temperature, a diagram of which is appended to this Report. 
All the thermometers in use were lent by Mr. Casella, of Holborn, and were 
verified at the Kew Observatory especially for the trials. 
Colonel Mann used ice in blocks, with the addition of a very small quantity 
of salt on one occasion during the trials ; Mr. Knott employed powdered ice, 
mixed with salt in the proportion of about 3 of ice to 1 of salt. 
Previously to the commencement of the trials, both the under-carriages 
were examined and passed by the inspector of the London and North- Western 
Railway Company. 
