12 
THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION AT CARDIFF. 
Jan., 1892. 
inspection of visitors. One of the most interesting of those 
which I visited was that of the Cardiff Artificial Ice and 
Cold Stores, which is said to be the most complete in 
the kingdom. The method used is that of compressing 
ammonia gas to a liquid and then allowing it to expand. 
The cold thus produced is absorbed by a solution of Ca Cl 2 , 
which is then circulated through the freezing tanks and cold 
rooms. In compressing the NH 3 water is used to absorb the 
heat given out, and it is remarkable that in this warm water 
a variety of uncommon forms of microscopic life occur. The 
cold rooms, which are kept at a temperature of 19°F., are 
cased with charcoal packing and can only be entered from 
the top of the building, this arrangement being adopted to 
prevent the warmth of the atmosphere from getting in. 
They are lit by electric incandescent lamps, and there is an 
arrangement so that, by shutting the doors from the outside, 
the current is broken. The hydraulic lifts are of a very 
complete character, for as many as 1,700 carcases have been 
placed in the stores in one hour. It gives one rather an 
uncanny feeling to go into these cold and feebly lighted 
rooms and see immense piles of shrunken limbs, covered with 
hoar frost. One’s thoughts involuntarily turn to the 
mummies in the Egyptian catacombs. Amongst other things 
there was a quantity of game belonging to the Marquis of 
Bute, which was kept there frozen until required for his table. 
A number of factories are situated on the ground which 
has been reclaimed from the Bristol Channel. One of these 
is that of the Tin Stamping and Enamelling Co., which 
covers an area of 3J acres. The process must be seen to be 
understood, but I may mention that large tinplate bowls are 
here stamped out at one operation, and, moreover, three at 
once in the one die. It is obvious that the metal must be of 
exceedingly good quality. The manufacture of enamelled 
vessels for domestic uses has recently attained a large 
development, in consequence of improvements which have 
rendered the glaze much more durable. I was told that 
for these articles steel was preferred by the makers, 
on account of its being actually cheaper than iron. I 
saw, also, that the whole of the works were lit up by the 
incandescent electric light, a pretty good proof that it 
can be had as cheap as gas. From thence I went to see 
a newspaper printed. I had seen the same processes at 
Newcastle two years ago, but, as newspaper offices are 
not usually open to the public, it may be worth while to 
give an outline of the method. The paper is not printed 
directly from the type, but from stereotype, which has the 
