IMPROVEMENTS IN ROPE-MAKING. 
465 
into substances, resembling the most beautiful 
Grecian, Italian, Egyptian, or Veid Antique 
maible, or pprphyiy, like the rock of Gibral- 
tai 1 Yet all ibis may Ue done by this inven- 
tion, of a humble ciiizen, of Orange county, 
in this State. This cement has been suAi- 
ciently tested by experiments on buildings, to 
satisfy practical men of its decided superio- 
lity over any other cement, stucco, or other 
hard finish for walls, hitheiio known. In our 
next Numlier we expect lo be uhle to fuinish 
the public witii some interesting pat ticulars on 
tins subject ; and in the mean time we can 
slate, that a Company has been formed in this 
city lo carry on the operations connected with 
the manufacture of this new cement, and its 
apfilicadon to buildings . — New York Rail- 
rod'l Jou vital. 
URG A N.— The city of iM unicit has lately 
purchased a curious organ of mai vellousi^ffect. 
'I’lie pipes and stops are of a miniature size, yet 
have all the musical effect of a church organ, 
it IS the woik of an luimble aitist of Fioieuce, 
named Michael Faoli ; whose talent has been 
< revealed for chance, and who, at the age of 
sixteen, made a beautiful clock, after one in- 
spection of a model. The cuiate of his village 
first employed him to make an organ which 
all Florence admired. — Atheiiceum, 
ROPE-MAKING MACHINERY. 
Messrs. Macnab & Co. of Greenock, 
have published an Exposition of the Prin- 
ciples of Mr. James Lang’s invention for 
Spinning Hemp into Rope-yarns by ma- 
chinery, and its effect on the strength and 
durability of Cordage. Of this Exposition 
the following extract will convey an outline. 
‘‘It was only towards the end of the 18th 
century that the art of Rope-making engag- 
ed the attention of scientific men, and began 
to be conducted on scientific principles. 
Then it was discovered, that, by the mode 
of operation formerly in use, the yarns 
could not be brought to bear equally with 
each other ; and, therefore, that a great loss 
of strength in the rope behoved to be the 
consequence. Great exertions were accor- 
dingly made by several intelligent individu- 
als to remedy this defect, and between the 
years 1783 and 1807, no fewer than twenty- 
two patents were taken put for improve- 
ments in the art, and for machines of vari- 
ous descriptions, — these it is not to our pur- 
pose to describe. It may be sufficient to 
;state, that the one invented by Captain 
Huddartof London, was greatly approved 
of, and obtained the highest celebrity. This 
plan was introduced into Greenock in 1802, 
by the late firm of Messrs. John Laird 
& Co., but was in some measure superseded 
a few years after by the method now in use, 
and which, by the application of the same 
principle, but of a more simple construction, 
was found to secure the same object, while, 
at the same time, it was better adapted for 
general purposes. For this improvement 
on Captain Huddart’s plan we believe we 
are indebted to Mr. W. Chapman of New- 
castle. The principle by which an increase 
of strength in the Cordage was effected 
(amounting to about 30 per cent.), is simply 
by so constructing the strand of the rope 
as that every yarn is made lo bear its own 
jiroportion of the strain. That the appli- 
cation of such a principle should be follow- 
ed by such a result, must be apparent to 
every one, and it is by carrying out this 
same principle to its full length, as we shall 
afterwards show, that we have been ena- 
bled" to effect an additional increase of 
strength, and, consequently, of durability 
to the rope. 
“ That a great improvement in rope- 
making waseffectedby these gentlemen,ther 0 
can be no question, but that perfection in 
the art might be attained, it was still neces- 
sary that the mode of preparing the yarns 
should also be improved. The usual pro- 
cess of hand-spining was considered very 
defective, as evidently it did not impart to 
the yarns that degree of strength which it 
was thought the material v/as capable of 
affording. Endeavours were accordingly 
made to obviate this defect also. Three pa- 
tents were even taken out for machines, but 
these were found not to answer expectation ; 
those constructed by Mr. Chapman are 
still used by some houses in England, but 
as they are very defective, they have never 
been introduced into general practice. A 
moment’s consideration must be sufficient 
to convince any person, the least convers- 
ant in rope-making, that, if the strength, 
and durability of the rope depend on the 
proper arrangement and equal bearing with 
each other of the yarns in the strand, 
so its strength and durability must also de- 
pend on the just arrangement, regular twist- 
ing, and consequent equal bearing of the 
fibrous substances which are employed in the 
composition of the yarns. Indeed, after the 
improvement above alluded to, this was the 
only thing requisite to complete the scientific 
construction of cordage ; and by the applica- 
tion of machinery, on a principle somwhat ana- 
logous to that which we have already referred 
to, this desideratum has also been supplied. 
Mr. Lang, who had for many years directed 
his attention to the subject, and was con- 
vinced of its practicability, upon taking the 
active management of our works, got a set 
of machines constructed under his own 
direction, which, on repeated trial, were 
found completely, to accomplish the object. 
By this invention, the regular spinning of 
the yarns, which had hitherto been prepared 
in a tedious and clumsy manner by hand- 
