The Express. — London, England, 1851-05-17 00:00:00

Tilt (EAT r t No. 1,475.] [No. 21, EXHIBITION EXPRESS.] THE EXHIBITION EXPRESS, FOR TILE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, MAY 17. Already the practical character of the people or this country is being brought to bear upon the Om* Exhibition of Industry. Already people are begins sing to ask how this great bazaar may be turned to immediate and profitable account. The show is allowed, by every visitor, to be unparalleled in the history of commercial enterprise ; but having paused awhile to admire the magnificence and the glitter, practical Englishmen begin to ask whether some sound lessons are not to be immediately derived from it. It is suggested that engineers should take their pupils into the machinery rooms ; that the stu dents of schools of design should be lectured to upon the patterns of all nations ; that weavers should investigate, under learned authori ties, the relative excellences of foreign fabrics; in short, that each department of industry should be a echoed-room—a gnat school-room for these young people who intend to live by following the industry of which it contains specimens so various. It is thought that in this way the exhibition may be turned to the best account, obvious as it must be to most people that the meaning of collecting the in dustries of all nations under one roof can be no other than that of an endeavour after mutual industrial improvement ; there are not wanting nevertheless per &NM who will strongly object to lectures upon the merits of the 'Exhibition. It will bo said again, as it has already been said, that public comparisons of the relative merits of British and foreign productions must be dis couraged, as tending to excite bad feeling among rival exhibitors and create national jealousies of a must uadesiruble nature. If this assertion hold, gold = if we are to have an exhibition of the indus try of all nations, collected fur the notorious purpose of general industrial improvement, simply used IN an opportunity of exchanging vapid compliments with fo reign merchants and manufacturers, then quarrelsome people may ask, what is to come out of the hubbub? But the wholesome tendency to learn and digest the contents of the Exhibition—go evolve some great and definite ideas from the colossal bazaar—is happily apparent already. Already teachers arc being sought —Unction who, without prejudice or ill-nature, will lead students of industry to the truths and the principles which lie developed it the great glass palace. Rumours of the most absurd and ludicrous descrip- Hon continue to fly about London, and ()suasion* to find their way abroad. For instance, in more than one town of the continent the fact is confidently circulated that bread has reached a famine price in England, and that beef and mutton are luxuries o which see can only dream. In other localities it is whispered "on undoubted authority" that the doors of the glass palace are closed to all who cannot ap proach them with three guineas in their hawk Again, mysterious people of a nervous temperament have had "certain information" that the Chartists axe maturing a nefarious plot for the subversion of order and the establishment of democratic tyranny; while the catholies have been busily engaged undermining portions of the great transept for the convenient packing of barrels of gunpowder. Some people know positively that all the members of the ex cutive committee are to be knighted; others have received certain information that no honour short of that of baronetcy will satisfy these gentlemen. As for the Mem Palace, it has, according to foreign rumour, been pulled down, bought tiff the nation, made into a winter promenade, a botanical museum, and a national casino. Messrs. Fox and Henderson, to the certain knowledge of thousands of people, have received NUMs for its construction varying from lotstaitit to half a million sterling: poor Mr. Paxton has been made a peer. a baronet, a knight, a mil ion air:: the main avenue has been taken from hima he tran sept has been given to him ; he has owed the idea to fifty dithrent people; he is the steward, the cousin, the relative by marriage of the Duke of Devonshire; he is short, tall, stout, lean, old, young, handsome, and ill-favoured. Rumour has nut been less busy among lodging-house keepers. Ten pounds have been ob tained fora garret. and not an extra lodging has been let ; London has never been so full and never au empty as at * present time. Throughout the week the glass pace, according to rumour, has been at the same eminent crannrwd to suffocation and de serted us Sahara. In short, so excited is the public mind on this matter that the most extravagant stories are admitted without question, since people begin to think that nothing can be said to be moos table now that the Great Exhibition is a tangible reality. Already between two and three hundred thousand people must have visited the building, and yet not for one moment has inconvenient crowding been complained of. So excellent arc the police arrange ments about the exterior, that thousands of cabs de posit their loads at the park gates daily with the quietude of one. Up to the present time about thirty thousand 9111,1011 tickets have been sold, and, inasmuch us the sale of them goes steadily on, it is probable that at the end of another month, not less than fifty thousand will have been issued altogether to the public. Sincere expressions of popular pleasure have been everywhere indulged in at the frequency of the thietais visits. and the earnestness with which her Majesty appears to have systematised her exa minations of the various departments. The first of the anticipated series of entertain ments which are to enliven the great " jubilee of industry," has already been publicly announced: it is to be an entertainment given by the English Ex hibition Commissioners to the foreign commissioners. This courteous advance on the part of the English authorities will open the exhibition season grace fully. During the week a considerable number of the (Ater' of Customs have left the building. their duties (which consisted in opening and examining the foreign packing-eases) being over. Only a few officers now remain in the building, to receive the foreign goods which have not yet arrived. Even now many of the foreign departments of the Exhibi tion are tar from a state of completion. Turkey, France, and Russia. are the three most conspicuous defaulters. The great case erected along the southern gallery of the foreign department is still empty; and in every part of this gallery, except in that al lotted to firitish exhibitors, matters progress but A summary of the experience's of the week should conclude, undoubtedly, with congratulations. Every thing hiss gone on preeperously and quietly. Loii don is as orderly as usual ; and, for the sake of in tending visitors . from all parts. it may be well to state that bread can still be procured at something under one shilling ter loaf; that occasionally a few stray sheep do still find their way to Smithfield :SLAM hi conclusion—as an instance of the increase of public interest in the Exhibition—it may he stated, that on Thursday ten thousand persons paid fur admission ut the doors. The receipts for admission upon each day have been as follows : May 2nd, at 1/ £s6o 0 0 May 3rd, at IL 482 0 0 May Sib, at 54 1,362 10 0 May 6th, at Sr.. 1,458 10 0 Dlai ith, at Si. 1,790 15 0 May Bth, at ss. 2,018 0 0 May 9th, at sa. 1,824 10 0 May 10th, at ba. May 12th, at to. Mai 13th. at 5.. May 14th, at ss. May 15th, at Zia May Nib, at ss. y 2,554 0 0 Total £22,72110 0 CONTENTS OF TILE GLASS PALACE. AGRICULTURAL MACHLNES AND IMPLE- We resume our notice of this section of the Exhi bition, by adverting to the classes of ilnplements which indicate more decisively the have our agriculture has made than that c lass we have already described. For preparing the soil .nd manuring it, for sowing the seed and clearing the growing crops from weeds, the many effective. implements we pos ° sees enable our husbandmen, to perform the work of I cultivation with greater ease and less comparative 'expense than any other "rain growers in the world; but the class we next refer to belongs as yet almost exclusively to our own system of agriculture. We allude to the various machines and contrivances for preparing and economising the food of stock. These are every day becoming more important to the farmer, ' for the course of events renders it absolutely mete , sary for farmers to increase the produce of their land : to that end a considerable force of manure is indispensable, and to obtain it large stocks of animals must be kept. Now, the breeding, nor. leg, and feeding of live stork are amongst the mat important, and, perhaps, the most hazardous branches of modern husbandry. The most difficult problem the British farmer has at this moment to work out is how to maintain live s t oc k w ith profit ; for lire, : stock he must maintain for the sake of manure. Bat the farmer who would apply his means to the beet account mast not be satisfied with treating his sal. male as mere manure-making machines which he must work at considerable expense ; he must apply himself to ascertain how a profit can be made upon the animals themselves. lie will soon discover, as indeed all our best farmers have long since demon strated, that shelter, warmth, and quiet, with liberal and judicious feeding, will enable a much larger stock to be kept, and, cons_nuently, much more and much better manure to be made, than could be kept on the rude and wasteful system still too much prevalent. Go through the dairy or grass-grazing districts of England, and we the cattle in the wet and cold weather of winter, shivering under hedges, or in open: unsheltere d y ards , re their hay placed on the ground and ex posed to all weathers, and the manure bung well nig h wasted, or look at the Scotch system of giving very large quantities of turnips with un limited supplies of straw in yards for the most part open, and all the management of the stock conducted in the rudest manner, and then compare it with more rational systems of housing and separating tho cattle and preparing their food which we find adopted amongst our foremost agriculturists. The means of adopting such improved management with profit must however be sought in the use of the aids afforded by some of the machinery and implements we are about to describe. First, we have the chaff-cutters, for cutting hay and straw into chaff which has been found to be a great source of economy, both from making the fodder go further and enabling the farmer to add to the bulky food which is essential for diges tion, a moderate quantity of highly nutri tious food, such us meal, linseed muc•illugo (Menke or turnips ; and in that way to produce much greater improvement upon the animals than by meanm of larger quantities of the same kinds of food given separately and unprepared. Corn and linseed crushers are necessary implements to such a system; and we may mention, in illustration, a fact ascer tained by experiments made within our own per sonal knowledge, that the saving of corn effected by giving horses bruised instead of whole outs amounts to 23 per cent., whilst the horses actually thrive best on the lesser quantity. This will be readily under stood by ull who observe how large a propor tion of the whole corn putoes undigested from tlw animals. There are also oilcake breakers for break ing up cake into sizes adapted for feeding cattle or sheep, or for manure; and nearly all our best im plement makers have sonic peculiar forms of their own in which they manufacture these machines. Another must essential implement is a turnip-cutter, and of these there are many varieties ex hibited. Of the linseed and corn crushers, those of Wood, Stanley, Garrett, and Whitener, were selected for trial at the Exeter meeting of the Royal Agricultural Society, and crushers by each of those makers may be seen in Ilyde Park. Ransom and Co. have also a very useful Luke crusher; and amongst these crushers there will be found imple ments adapted to all sorts and conditions of farmers, from the small occupier, who finds it most economi cal to use hand machines, to the more extensive farmers, whose crushers will require the assistance of horse ur steam power. The chaff cutters selected at Exeter were Smith and Co.'s, Richmond and Chandler's, Garrett's, Comes's, Williams's, Comes, jun.'s, and Gillett's, all of whi c h are i n the present Exhibition. We may also mention Howard's, lkr- I ot's, and Ferrubee'a chaff-cutting machines as meri torious implements. It has been also ascertained that it is most economical to cut the straw used us ' litter into lengths of three or four inches, in prefer enee to throwing it into the stalls or boxes in an un cut state. The same quantity of straw when cut goes further as litter than when uncut ; and is much better when applied to the land in a fresh state, now well known to be the most advantageous method of applying manure. Without well arranged ma chinery, it would be impossible to adopt this prac tice; but on farms where the best plans are carried out it is the custom to cut all the straw into short chaff for food, or longer chaff for litter when the corn is threshed out, the corn and cut straw being carried by the machinery to their separate receptacles. Of the turnip and mangold wurzel cutters Gard ner's well known machine is certainly the best, though there are other makers not far behind. Gorse or furze when crushed, cue into short lengths, and mixed with chaff, has been found a very nutritious and valuable food for cat tle, especially for milking cows, and accordingly we find several machines for smashing and cutting gorse are exhibited. We may also mention a mill for grinding corn into fine meal, by Messrs. Clayton and Shuttleworth, which driven by a five-horse power steam engine will grind eight bushels per hour. But the economical preparation of food when cut into chaff is only half effected, for by steaming and moistening it becomes more palatable to the animals, and more digestible; and the practice of cooking and steaming tho food of stock is coming much into use. Stanley, of Peterborough, has a very convenient apparatus for this purpose, which has the advantage of being moderate in price and simple and convenient to use; and there are others on a larger scale well worthy of attention. Another important class consists of the thresh big machines, of which several varieties are exhibited. Of late Years these machines h ave been greatly improved both in workmanship and lightness of draft, and ars very superior to the ponderous machinery first used for threshing grain. Most of these machines are portable ones. and the custom which now so widely prevails in Eng land, of hiring a moveable threshing machine from persons who make it a kind of business to let them out, has stimulated the manufacturers to great exer tions in this department. Still we believe that on every farm exceeding 200 acres of amble land, it would be found good economy to have fixed thresh ing mai:llium, with proper dressing apparatus at tached, as well as fixed steam engines. For about 3fitil. a very complete arrangement of fixed machinery for threshing and dressing corn, cutting chaff, bruis ing linseed and grain for stock, and cutting turnips, with steam engine complete, may be erected; and the economy effected therefrom where there is much corn So thrall, or stock to be provided for, is incalculable by those who have not witnessed it in operation. * The threshing machines exhibited are chiefly of the portable kind. Amongst the most prominent makers we may mention Garret, Erroll, and Co.. Cambridge; Hornsby. Clayton, and Co., Crosshill. In the report of the judges of the Royal A gr i cu l tura l Society at Exeter they t that where " close drums, with beaters in some not projecting more tistin half an inch," arc used in these thresh.' ing machines, " machines so constructed are Yr s r 7 I ;tely to be broken by sticks or stones passils t ; 'be tween the drum and the concave." And add:—" We consider it a great reflection, t tn the agri cultural interest, that while machi 'so . ' y then ",: ry in various manufactures performs the most ''..ieticate operations, and produces the most exquisite fabrics, the compara tively rough operation of threshing corn and per fectly dressing it has nut yet been accomplished, or machines for that purpose encouraged by the society ;" and they then recommend that the society should offer prizes for fixed thresh ing machines and steam engines. It must bo recollected that, though the threshing and dressing corn arc rough operations when coin paredwith some of the nicer operations performed by machinery in manufactures, vet the material on which agricultural machinery has to work is of a rougher sort than the manufacturing machinist has to deal with. Take, for instance, the liability of a machine intended for threshing corn out of straw, to have sticks and stones passed through it, and it will be obvious that no reflection need be cast on the agri cultural machinist because he has not at once pro vided for the performance of his work with that un erring certainty found in our manufacturing ma &lines. At the same time there can be no doubt that the Royal Agricultural Society ought to give more encouragement than it has hitherto done to fixed machinery and permanent weeks, which require and missive either an intelligent co-operation be wees landlords and tenants or the grant of long and rational leases. These arc points, however, on which the society, being chiefly managed by the great landowness, ns rather shy. One great reason why fixed machinery for agricultural purposes is not so common on Ellg lish farms as it ought to be. or even as it is in the more improved districts of Scotland, scents to 1/C the lamentably deficient and ill-arranged state of the farm buildings on must English farms, and the short sighted economy which has almost universally caused them to be built with wood instead of brick or stone. To correct these things must of necessity be a work of some time, but still a society professing to eueou rage agriculture, by the union of "practice with science, ought to omit no moans of promoting per manent improvement. It may afford our mechanist renders some notion of the force and work dine by the portable thresh ing machines exhibited, to state some of the results of the Exeter trial of a few of them. Thus we find that Garrett's machine of four horse nominal power, going at the horse speed of 1.87 miles per hour, threshed 1011 sheaves of wheat in three minutes and fourteen seconds; but that it actually required 6.34 horse power to work the machine. So (.Irosskill's with a nominal power of four horses, going 2.31 miles per hour, threshed 100 sheaves in three minutes and sixteen seconds, and required 5.12 horse power. Again Humbs.'s, also of nominal 1 horse power, going, at 2.47 miles per hour, threshed 100 sheaves in two minutes and Illty seconds, but to effect that work 8.01 horse power was Used. Exalt and Co.'s threshing machine, alma of nominal 4 horse power, working at a speed of 2.21 miles per hour, threshed 100 sheaves of wheat in three minutes thirteen seconds and a half, with actual exertion of 6.21 horse power. In all the above eases, as also in all the others tried, the actual power required to do the work per formed on the trial was greater than the nominal power, consequently the machines were tested beyond their actual power, and the work done in practice cannot be so much as 100 sheaves within the period specified on this trial. The rate of work ing at these trials is however regulated by the ex hibitors themselves; for the judges at Exeter re marked " that the exhibitors generally, when on trial, arc anxious to do their work in the shortest possible time. Were they to feed and work their machines as they would do in the farm-yard, the results obtained would be more in their favour, and the advantages possessed by the machine more clearly developed," and, they udd, that remark applit'd to all the threshing machines tested. points attended to in testing these machines are, the quantity and quality of the work done, and the power required; and care is taken to ascertain that u proper balance is kept between these points. Hensman's ono Hornsby's corn-dressing machines seem to have been the two closest competitors at Exeter, and the result of several trials was that " Hensman's machine turned out the best grain --a shade cleaner than Hornsby-'s; but, as a drawback, the tail corn had a large quantity of good corn inter mixed with it." With some remarks on the portable steam-engines exhibited, we must close our comments on this brunch of the agricultural machinery of the Exhibition, re serving for future notice all that relates to land dra' g and such novelties us rather indicate future improvements than can be assumed to be at present of practical utility; and here we cannot avoid re peating the regret expressed by the Exeter judges that the society confined its prizes to portable steam engines. They say truly that it is an important practical question " as to how far it is desirable to increase the weight of a portable farm engine, by adding to the size of the boiler, ' within certain limits,' if well designed, the less will be the consump tion of fuel per horse power per hour; but the most economical engine in work may be in weight and price the least suited to a fanner's purpose; and as these engines arc only required fur a limited period during the year, it is questionable whether lightness and portability should not be deemed of great moment in guiding the decision of the judges." And to guard against the exhibition of too large a size and too expensively censtructed—made rather for winning at the trial than for general sale—it was suggested that each engine entered in future trials should be of 6-horse nominal power, and that the entire weight of the engine to be worked at that power should not exceed 55 cwt. We appre hend most of the portable engines now exhi bited conform to these conditions; for it will be re collected that the agricultural implement and machi nery section of the Exhibition is in fact that of the Royal Agricultural Society. The steam engine ex hibited by Dean and Co. was stated to perform its work economically and well; but its price (2001., being 50/. per horse power) was considered too high. Clayton and Co's. 7-horse power engine obtained the second prize at Exeter. Hornsby's engine was a 6-horse power, was reported as good and well adapted to farm work, with the exception of its size, which was deemed too large. This en gine obtained the first prize. Tuxford's engine was commended, but some delicate mechanical arrange ments it contained were suggested as likely to " re quire a little more care in the engineer while working the same than might at all times be found in agricul tural districts." What an argument does that sentence afford for the better instruction of our rural popula tion as the means of aiding the advance of agricul tural industry. Garrett's engine also was greatly commended. The judges say of it. the crank shaft is of good length, very strong, and is placed at the extreme end of the boiler, to which the bearings are very firmly fixed, the cylinder being securely fas tened on the side c l ose to the fire-box, thereby ob taining a long connecting rod, which we consider moro desirable than a short one; the twee pump is attached to a cold-water cistern placed under the crank shaft, from which it is worked, and is so ar ranged that the foot valve is below the water in the cistern, thereby ensuring an unfailing action of the pump—a point gained which is second to none in importance, and an arrangement which neither of the prize engines p, having to lift their water from the groun . All the working parts of the engine are brought so low that they are easily reached, oiled, and adjusted from the ground; indeed we were so pleased with its strength and portability, being a light load for two horses, and thinking it so suitable to the purpose for which it was designed, that had it not been for the superior duty done by the large" boilers of the prize engines (though in economy of time and coal used in getting up steam LONDON, SATURDAY EVFYING, MAY 17, 1851. this engine excelled them both), we should have placed it in the front rank." From the above report it as plain that for practical work in farming Garrett's sane is the most suitable. The point on which the jedges preferred the prize engines, Clayton's and ornsby's, was that they consumed less coal, namely. Clayton s, 7.771b5., and Ilornsby's 7.561b5., per horse power per hour, while Garrett s consumed 11.291 b.. of coal per hour for each horse power. In getting up the steam Clayton's engine consumed 431b5., Hornsby's 391b5., and Garretes 311bs. of coal. We have entered somewhat fully into descrip tions of these important agricultural machines, be cause we hope that the attention of artisans and others engaged in the construction or management of machinery in manufactures may be induced to examine and criticise this department of mechanical skill, and may so suggest objections and defects which may lead to improvement. At the same time, the tests of practical husbandry are of more import ance than the mere tests of the trial yard; for it will be found that many implements which never obtain prizes are most extensively used by farmers, and stand the test of every day use, where prize imple ments faiL And so sensible are manufacturers of the necemity of constant practical trials of their imple ments, that some of them —as, for instance, Howard of Bedford—actually occupy farms mainly for the purpose of watching and trying their implements in the ordinary farm work. 14TACTTryfrItY. Since our last visit to this department of the Exhibition an addition has been made to the stock of locomotives. in the shape of a broad gunge engine built by the Great Western Rail way Company. It presents nothing new in point of construction : one of the main objects attended to now-a-days by most of the locomotive builders is to have nll the working ports secured to the frame—that is, independent of the boiler ; this' simplifies the construction to a certain extent. We look upon it as a decided improvement, but it is one which does not seem to be attended to by the com pany. The engine, when in working oder, weighs 37 tons; the tender, with water and coke, weighs 17 tuns 13 cwt. :making a total of 52 tons 13 ewt. : it is capable of taking a passenger train of 120 tons at an average speed of 60 miles per hour upon easy gradients. We fear the working expenses will fall heavy. The engine in all complete weighs .52 tons, and the average weight of train it can take is 120 tons; ' now, if it actually takes a train of 101 tons, it will be pretty well, and if we take the whole train with engine complete, the engine alone will be one-third the weight of the whole train ; that is, one-third of the power required to move the whole train will be absorbed by the engine alone. It must be considered that the ballast on which the permanent way is laid is to a certain extent elastic. In fact, elasticity is an essential ingredient for the durability of railways; I now, when a heavy weight is placed on the penua nent way, it must cause depression to a certain ex- tent ; and the greater the weight is, of course, greater ! will the depression b.. This is another objection to such heavy engines ; the engine is, as it nets, in a continual hollow, which will absorb a certain con tinual amount of power. We forgot to mention Nasmyth's steam hammer, which forms a prominent feature, not only at the Exhibition, but in all engine factories and iron works. It is wonderful, too, us a piece of mechanism. and perhaps speaks more for the advance made of late in the perfection of machinery titan oily modern piece of mechanism . ' That a machine subject to such avy concussions should lie at the same time capable of the most perfect adjustment in action without being liable to derangement is wonderful. Th e hanuncr can not only be made to come down with the combined action of gravity and the pressure of steam, which will give the most violent blow it is capable of producing, but it can be regulated with sufficient nicety to crack a nut. In fact, we have been in iron-works where we saw two steam-ham mers lying idle, simply because the men would not allow tho hammers to fall with their full force on the bloom. By regulating the hammer, they could bent up the iron so as to look well,but when it came to be rolled it was found to be full of dross, and they were obliged to recur to the old tilt hammers. The prin ciple on which the hammer acts is simple enough : the cylinder is above, the piston-rod passing through a stuffing-box beneath is immediately connected to the hammer; one of the difficulties which had to be ~.. overcome was how to connect the hammer to the piston-rod, without communicating the serious con cussions of the hammer to the piston ; this was done by packing the end of the piston-rod in the hammer between pieces of wood, and keying it down, the mama' was sufficiently elastic to prevent the concussions effecting the piston : the action of the valve and regu lating apparatus is too complicated to ente into here. The department devoted to machinery in motion, which we now enter, will prove more attractive to the general mass of v sitors than that we have just left ; machinery when in motion has, as may be well conceived, a more lively appearance, and excites curiosity more than when at a stand-still, especially of the general visitors of the Exhibition, who come more from motives of curiosity than utility. The first thing on entering which attracts atten tion, arc waterfalls which cause a good deal of noise, and fur that reason will, no doubt, prove attractive ; one of them is exhibited by Mr. Appold; the water is raised by what is commonly called centrifugal force. This is done by giving a rapid rotatory motion, to a kind of circular fan, which will be more easily under stood by looking at one, than by any attempt at de scription; it is really curious to witness the quantity of water they will raise. We believe that then are no engineers who, per haps, have done more towards bringing steam navi gation to perfection than Messrs. Maudslay's and Yield; they exhibit a small double-cylinder direct-' acting high pressure steam-engine of six horse power, used 111 driving a coining press on a new principle, a model of a new patent gun metal screw propeller, and models of their different direct-action en gines for paddle-wheel steamer+, to all of which we direct the attention of all lovers of machi nery. kiregards the six horse double-cylinder engine, it is on the same principle as those built by Messrs. Maqdslay's for large marine engines, except that being a high pressure engine, it is divested of the gear requisite fur working the air-pumps, &e. Direct action engines, which only means that instead of transmitting the motion through the medium of beams ar side levers, it is transmitted direct, are gra dually superseding beam engines, because, first of all, the fewer the parts through which motion is transmitted the better. Beam engines also take up 1 more room ; in the case of direct-action engines, the cylinders lying immediately under the crank shaft, the diffiadty consists in obtaining room for the eon- ,I fleeting rod to work, th ere b e i ng very li tt l e space I between the top of th e c yli n d ers an d t h e cran k s h a f t. Messrs. Maudslay's have patented different plane, which all seem to have been attended with success. i The case of this lime six-horse engine illustrates one I of the plans; there arc two cylinders placed as I close to each other as circumstances will allow, the piston-rods are connected together by means of what we eon only liken to a T, the tops of the piston-rods are fixed to the ends of the cross-piece, the tail end going down between two cylinders, works in guides, the connecting rod being forked• the forks pass down each side of the tail end, thus the rod passes down from the crank to the bot tom of this tail end, on which it vibrates. The plan is simple enough in this ease, but when it has to work air-pumps, &c., when applied to maainc engines, of which there is a model, it has a much more com plicated appearance. The chief feature about the , coining press is, that instead of producing the pres sure by a screw or lever, it is produced by an eccen tric. We could not see exactly how the eccentric acts, being hidden; at each stroke of the press, that is after the coin has been stamped, a little arm Shoots forward which carries a blank coin along with it, knee t he coin whi c h h as b een s t ampe d o ff th e di e , and co the blank one in its stead ; it t h en re . 1 tarns, e press comes down, produces the inspres- 1 lion, and the operation of placing another coin in its stead is repeated. The whole is ilea and compact. The feathering screw is an ingenious invention. One of the advantages derived from the screw pro pelling system is that with a fair wind the screw can be unshipped and the vessel can proceed in every re spect like a sailing vessel, having no impediment; the plan adopted for unshipping tho screw has hitherto been a tedious process, the propeller being lifted out of the water by two screws working in guides ; in the patent feathering screw the two fans arc brought into one plane by a simply piece of me chanism, and are secured in a lino with the rudder, so that they offer no obstruction whatever to the pro ' greasy of the vessel when under sale. A few years since we saw a feathering screw, but it was to ascer tain which was the best angle the fans should be placed at for propelling, we don't know whether this screw of Maudalay's is intended to do that, at all events it is a pretty invention, though it remains to be seen how it will answer in practice. There is a huge connecting-rod adapted to marine steam engines, of the collective power of eight hun dred horses; this connecting rod is made to work an engine of four hundred horses power; it is a beauti ful piece of workmanship. The brasses are lined inside with patent metal, a substance getting much into use for bearings, &c., it is found to work smoother and does not require so much oil as brass. We now come to a set of beautiful models, illus trating the different kinds of merino engines in ge nital nse for paddle wheel steamers. The first is pair of double-cylinder engines• built on the same plan as that wliklt is ut work, except that it has all the requisite appurtenances for condensing. which gives it a very complicated appearance. There arc also a pair of vibrating engines on the same principle as those exhibited by Penn, of twenty-four horse k )ower. A model of a patent double piton-rod engine, is another plan for obtaining direct action ; iu this ease the centre of the cylinder is plums under the shalt ; there was no possibility, therefore, to form a con nexion between a piston rod working in the centre of the cylinder and the crank, because the crank is so low that it only just clears the top of the cylinder. Het-our:4e was had, therefore to two piston rods, which allowed the crank to work between them. Their action was combined above, from which a 0111- meting rod working in guides came down and worked the crank. We believe they worked well ; but the connecting rods, guides, &e., have to he above deck. Next is a model of a beam engine, which the other plans are intended to supersede, and which no doubt they do ; hut still one must not be blind to the merits of these old engines : all the heavy parts lie low at the bottom of the vessel, and the beams on each side are convenient for working the pumps. The chief fault lies in there not being direct action. The last model is a pair of annular cylinders, another plan for obtaining direct action. In this case the cylinders stand also plumb under the crank shaft; but the cylinders arc annular, that is, a tube passes down the centre of each cylinder, in which the tsomecting rod vibrates. The pistons are of courseannular. and there arc two piston rods to each, which are connected together, and work the connecting rods just the same way as in the double cylinder engines. Altogether the engine has a very simple and compact appearance. (Inc thing alone puzzles us, that is, how the the inner part of the an nular piston is kept steam tight. There must be some affinity between these engines and Penn's trunk engines, though Mandalay may not have taken his idea from the latter. In pursuing our investigations amongst the ma chinery, we may remark that our chief object has been to point out the most modem improvements which have been successful in practice, the success of machinery in practice lying the best criterion of its utility. We have remarked on a previous occasion, that there is nothing here very new or wonderful. The more we investigate the mechanical department of the Exhibiti:m, the more confident do we feel in stating that the mechanical genius of the country is far from being perfectly nresented. The generality of our great engineers, whatever be the 'branch of engineering they have ulti mately followed, have risen from humble ranks, and have attained eminence in life, simply through their mechanical genius. There is plenty, perhaps a superabundance, of mechanical genius to this country, but very little of it is to be seen in the Exhibition, because. perhaps, the class in which it is most developed had not the means of so exhibiting ; and the same want of means is the reason why a great number of inventions do not come before the public. On an ociasion like this, the humbler classes of mechanics of this country ought to have been in vited to exhibit under more auspicious circumstances. The French would not have so large a show, but for the generosity of its government. W. G. Armstrong exhibits models of some of his hydraulic machinery, us applied to cranes, corn lifts, and a machine for washipping coals. Here the pres sure of the water is obtained by a small steam engine forcing water into what is technically termed the accumulator, where the water acquires a certain pressure. When the crane is re quired to act, the water is allowed to press on a piston in a cylinder, and as the piston moves from one end of the cylinder to the other, a chain being attached to the end of the piston rod 'wows over a series of rallies, by which the stroke of the piston is multiplied; the chain then passes over the jib of the crane, and being secured to the object re quired to be raised, the hoisting is thus performed. By causing the chain to pass through a system of pulleys, the stroke of the piston can be multiplied to any length, the pressure of water iv also made sub servient to swinging the crane. The application of this principle may do very well where the pressure of water can be readily obtained, but when it comes to having a steam engine, for the purpose of forcing water into an accumulator, we doubt such a system coming into extensive practice. First of all it is me dial effect, that is transmitting power through a medium, which is a plan we like to see avoided as much as possible, because a certain amount of power must be lost in the transmission. The atmospheric principle as adapted to railways, is lan instance of medial ctfect, namely, pumping air by means of steam-engines, although air is by no means such a favourable medium to deal with a s water. It mast be allowed that the system of pump ing water presents some advantages, such as being easily stored up and ready for use at any time, but we believe that where steam power has to be em ployed, the more direct that power is the better. Cunningham and Carter exhibit their new system of propulsion on railways; it is on the atmospheric principle; we have not heard of its having been tried in practice, and don't supposo we ever will. In fact, the moro we find inventors deviate from the first principle of atmospheric propulsion, which every one ought to know has been tried practically—we allude to the plan of a continuous tube, in which a piston works, which being immediately connected to the train, is forced along by atmospheric pressure —the more inventors deviate from this mode, the less likelihood has there been of their plans succeeding. The present system consists in having small station ary engines placed along the line at short distances apart ; these engines are worked by atmospheric pressure (which is medial effect), the driving wheels are on each side of the rails, and lie horizontally ; they are so placed that when a train passes between I them, the wheels will press upon rails placed on each side of the train ; these engines set to work imme diately the train comes up to them, and, of course, these wheels send them along. Let us screw up suffi cient imagination to suppose one of these trains to be going at the rate of forty miles an hour, which is by no means an extraordinary speed, and as the train passes one of these engines with the wheels buzzing round, let us ask ourselves, is the engine driving the train aor is the train driving the engine- we certainly would be impressed with the belief that the latter action was taking place; it is absurd to suppose that an engine aria be started and can give out power in so short a space of time. Then, sup- I posing such a system to be m actual practice, every Lima the train plumed one of these engthes the per- [PRICE (DOUBLE SHEET) FOURI'ENCE. sengers would feel the pleasant sensation of first being pulled along and then pnslied. It seems to us as if the atmospheric principle was here at its last Watkins and 11111 exhibit some beautiful sectional models of steam-engines; they are most useful for diffusing a poetical knowledge of the steam-engine. We allude particularly to the condensing steam engine. Visitors who wish to gain a perfect notion of the inward action of a condensing steam-engine, that is, who wish to see how the steam is made to act above and below the piston, how it is condensed, &c., have only to look at this model. Fairbiiirn, amongst other things, exhibits a patent tubular crane ; the jib is composed of a wrought iron tube, on the same principle as tubular girders, another application lately developed of the strength of tubular structures. There is a most excellent show of manufacturing machines and tools. Whitworth has quite an engine factory there are self acting lathes, planing, slot ting, drilling and boring. screwing. cutting, and dividing, punching and shearin g m ac hi nes , p a t en t screw stocks, with dies and taps. Sharp has a good collection; so has flick and some others; but Whit worth's seem to be the best. We could not see any machine of new principle or construction ; there are a few improvements here and there, rendering tho machines more perfect—but these we are un able to point out; the visitors are guarded of these machines by ropes, so that these ma chines can be looked at but not investigated; it is quite right that the mass of visitors should be thus guarded off, but still if a visitor takes a particular interest in examining a machine we do not see why that interest should not be gratitted—if otherwise, what is the use of the Exhibition. (arforth exhibits his direct-action steam rivetting machine; iu Fairbairres machine the rivetting it produced by levers acting like a knee joint; when the joint becomes straight it gives a twist dewily squeeze to the rivet, and brings the plates together, only that the dies have to be set to suet the thickness of the two plates which are being rivetted. ht thu steam rivetting machine this adjustment is rendered unnecessary, it simply consists of a cylinder a ith its piston and piston rod; when steam is admitted at the track of the piston, the piston-rod being forced thrward the end of it comes into contact with the redhot rivet, which has been inserted through a hole previously made in the plates, the rivet is kept in its place at the back ; the die fixed to the end of the piston rod never stops till the plates arc effectually rivetted together. It appears that by common rivetting three men and one boy eau only rivet 20 three quarter inch rivets per hour; with this machine ono man and three boys can rivet with perlect ease at the rate of six per minute, or :3i' per hour. Hamden and Saunders exhibit models of the ma chinery they have in use for 'parrying. we believe it is the first successful adoption of machinery to quarrying. The first model shows how saws are driven, fiir the purpose of cutting the stone in its natural beds. The machine has eight saws. which in the original machine are 21 feet long. These lie downwards at an angle across the bed of stone that has to be cut, the saws act by their own weight, and are worked up and down by cranks. The saws are all independent of each other, so that if anything happens to One saw it c an s t o p w ith out i nter f er i ng with the act' of the others. When the stone has been thus cut across, it has to lie taken out by means of wedges. The stone is then removed by a travers ing crane, which, as well as the saws, is worked by steam. There is also a model of a portable balanoo saw frame, for cutting blocks of stone alter having been quarried. It is in gen i ous , b u t tad comarneted on very scientific principles. We also saw a machino for making bricks, which w(' hear is very effective. We hu;'e already notieedNasO7yib's744l luonmer used for heavy forging. Ryder exhibits his patent fiorge for light work, and further illustrates the mro gress of machinery in the art of smithing. This machine is used for forging, drawing down, and swaying by steam power without the use of hammer or anvil up to two inches round or square, it can only be used for plain work. The mad • acts rapidly, by small degrees, giving about 700 blows per minute. It operates more kindly on the iron and steel than by the usual method. We may as well remark here that in the French department, I krosne and Call exhibit some excellent specimens of 'Urgings ; one, a locomotive wheel : the other, the end of a locomotive tire-box. This, we be lieve, has been done by pressure. It is a thing well worthy of notice, and tends to simplify the construc tion of those kind of boilers. Ib,ltzaptli•l and Co. exhibit some of their machines and took adapted to ornamental turning. specimens of which are also exhibited. There is a lathe with a new and rather complicated rest ; the chief peculia rity about it being, that it enables spheres to be turned with greater precision than hitherto. There arc also the geometnoil, eccentric, and oval chucks, all of which will no doubt prove highly interesting to amateurs. RAW MATERIALS. Amongst raw materials in Class 11., we find the mineral, vegetable, and animal substances which are used in nallieine, and the processes of pharmacy. Amongst the most striking products in this depart ment, and those which will obtain most general no tice, are the gigantic masses of crystals of various substances which are used in medicine mid the arts. Messrs. Pontifex and Wall exhibit Roam very splen did specimens in this department. In the large ;chief case in which are exhibited numerous objects of interest in this section, will be found several large masses of crystals of citric mid tar taric acids. These crystals have been procured by allowing strong solutions a thm substances to cuts tallise in leaden vessels of large size. After the I crystallisation has taken place, the leaden vessels are removed from the mass of crystals they contain by sawing them in pieces, and the crystals are thus left in the form of a cylinder, on the interior of which their peculiar forms are preserved. Near to these crystals are to he seen a mess of chloride of ammo nium, or sal ammoniac, of a conical form and hollow in the interior, exhibited by Mr. Austin. liar to this specimen are sonic very tine crystals of nitrate of potassa(common nitre) from the same house. Contrast ing with the pure white of these crystals, and exhibited by Mackintosh and Cts, and other houses. arc the red and yellow pru.ssiates of potash. Nothing, can exceed the rich colour of these specimens. The crystals are arranged around an axis of crystallisa tion, forming irregular pillars of coloured crystals. It is from these salts that the prussic or hydrocyanic acid is obtained. Amidst these colours another mass of crystals fre quently catches the eye in the various collections of the wholesale or manufacturing chemists. These arc the sulphate of iron or greed vitriol, many specimens of which, of unusual size and beauty, are to ho seen. The manufacture of carbonate of ism's is one of great importance in the north of England, where it es obtained by the decomposition of common sea salt. There are two carbonates of soda, both of which are represented from various houses in the form of large crystals. Alum is a substance exten sively used in the arts, and especially . as a mordant in dyeing. It is separated from various deposits in I the earth containing alumina, the earthy basis of common clay. It is a compound of alumina, potash, and sulphuric acid, and in a case from the Pendleton Alum Works the various processes are seen through which the earth has to pass before it is converted into crystals of alum fit for economic uses. In other collections, the crystals of stun are very large, and afford fine examples of this branch of manufacture. Amongst other specimens of crystallisation to be seen in this department are those of nitre (nitrate of potash), Glauber. salts (sulphate of soda), Epsom salts (sulphate of magne sia), common salt (chloride of sodium), and common smelling salts (carbonate of ammonia). Those who ttre interested in the study of crystallography will find some beautiful single crystals, sent by M r. Copney, in a smell glass case by themselves, consist-