The Express. — London, England, 1851-06-14 00:00:00

II • • k•Z • * , g 04 , --Z- • .a.rd .0 . . I MP Tvbt teLicl. -• No. 1,499.] [No. 25, EXHIBITION EXPRVSS.] THE EXHIBITION EXPRESS, FOR THE WEER ENDING SATURDAY, JUNE 14. THE WEEK AT THE GLASS PALACE. The past week hia.244.11 a busy one at the Glass Palate. No sign of falliipg off in attraction; no diminution of the crowds of eager, curious visitors ; no cessation to the showers of gold and silver taken at the doors ; no cheek to the growing balance at the bankers. humus follows success, and the fame and the profits of the great modern show become day by day wider and wider. The attendance on Whit-Monday wan very nu -10410%11, but not so much No as bad been expected. A lime proportion of the visitors were .from the country, as Right be seen from the florid countenances end homely onfinsam. Several 'session trains poured their contents IM ibis landiser. Thee was a gam& matatm of •••• tropolitan artisans funnies, wse'the COD duet of all was everything that could be wished in propriety of conduct, and discriminating attention to the objects most worthy of inspection. The preemie was very great previous to the opening of the door+, hut all was good Ramous and politeness, and the numerous plumb posted up with " no hurry" printed on them evidently hadtheir effect in inducing every one to wait for his or bier tarn• The stream of applicants for admission continued to Bow on steadily until about half-past one o'clock, alter which there was a constant diminution until four, when with the ex ception of ticket-holders, it ceased altogether. The number admitted up to that hour was 50,500. The diamonds and pearls, the gold and silver fancy work, which on the gala days so monopolise the public at tention, were almost neglected by the visitors on Whit Monday. They speedily turned away from the Koh 1-poor, in evident disappointment, and stopped but a moment before the rare collections of the East India Company. The natural genius and bent of the people showed therein Ives in the crowds that rendered the " ma chinery in motion" room almost impassible in the middle portion of the day. The cotton machines, the ilk machines and those for spinning silk, were un approachable from the crowd who ;taxed incessantly. The galleries received their full share of atten tion, as did even the comparatively neglected aisle devoted Ile stained glass. Here we could perceive that the groups invariably stopped before the good things, turning away Mem those outrageous contrasts of reds and blues with which some of the wioalows are disfigured. The charming female face from Milan was universally admired, as were she some curious little glass portraits, in which the outline is produced by inequalities in the glass. The spectator+ /middy found out the mode in which the effect was pro duced, sad this discovery only increased their admiration. There was not a single aetident throughout the day. Mr cads account (June 9) was as follows Beason teeket, At the door. 2,436 4 0 Total On Tuesday there was en enormous muster, pas sage being with difficulty obtained through the nave and galleries. The company was of a very mixed character. Instead of being composed almost exclusively of the opera tive class, as on the previous day, there were numbers of Ilealtionable persons present. The strangers were observed to emigregatc prim ipally in the British section, room especially fa that portion of the north gallery which is devoted to .ftglish glass and porcelain; and certainly the gorgeousness of the display in that quarter fully justified their selection. Since the commencement of the one shilling fee a nuisance has been gradually growing up, to which we would beg to all the especial attention of the police. Parties of boys peram bulate the place, and select the most convenient spots for their favounte games, without the slightest attention to the convenience of the public. The entire of the steam-brewing 'whine was on Whit Monday occupied by a squadron of young urchins enjoying a refreshing game at " whoop," and on Tuesday the galleries were perambulated by whole troops armed with castanet:, the din of which was by nu means a desirable addition to the inevitable noise and hustle attendant upon a concourse of 50,000 people. Now, although it may be all very right and proper that the rising generation should have full enjoyment of the wonders of the Crystal Palace, they can har dy expect to be permitted to turn it into a play ground, to the great annoyance of other visitors, who attend for a very different purpose. A very confident rumour was circulated on 'Nubility in the foreign quarter, fur which M. &Bandeaux, was given as the authority, that the city of Paris contemplates inviting the whole of the commissioners, the executive committee, jurors, etc., to a grand ball and supper at the Hotel de Ville, providing them with a con veyance there and back free of expense. The time men tioned is a week or so subsequent to the grand ball at oar own Mansion-house. The police returns, at 4 o'clock, set down the whole number of visitors at 48,599. The cash account for the day stood thus Season tickets £9 9 At the doors Total receipts L2,281 11 On Wednesday. the Queen, accompanied by Prince Albert, visited the building, proceeding at once to the Rus sian section ' where she minutely inspected and much com mended the specimens of malachite,the plate and diamonds. On the admission of the general company there was little or no rush, and for two hours after, the building presented all the appearance of a Friday or Saturday. At about two o'clock, however, it filled rapidly, and the various points of interest in the foreign nave were surrounded by crowds. The Austrian sculpture-room in particular was almost impas sable, the attraction being the veiled figure by Monti. The building was kept well watered, and was delightfully cool and pleasant during the day. The cash account was as follows : Season tickets L 4 4 0 At the doors 2,160 9 0 Total £2,164 13 0 On Thursday, contrary to expectation, there was • full average attendance at the Crystal Palace, although the weather during the greater part of the day was pertinaci ously wet. The first 'Wien, as usual, were her Majesty and friends. A very intereetiag episode in this day's proceed ings was the arrival of the whole adult population of three parishe, in Sussex, headed by their clergyman, who had come up by Clellraialk traits early in the morning from God atone. They had • previously prepared plan of the cam paign according to which Obey were first mustered in bea , marching order, such laving • well-filled basket of provisionsslung mend his neck, under the transept. The weed was then given be every one to go where he or she liked, but all with strict injunctions to . meet at the trysting place at tour o'clock. It was qu ite amusing to see the punctuality with which they kept the appointment at that hour, and allowed themselves to be regularly mar shalled two and two, to the number of 800, by their worthy pastor. They seemed to be mightily pleased with every thing they had seen, eacept the agricultural implements, which they thought might do very well for the Crystal Palace, liut would hardly do for the stiff clays of Sussex. The men were mostly dressed in new smock frocks, and the women most tidily and neatly attired, and did infinite credit to their district, end to the generalship of their wor thy leader. Several splendid models of Indian conveyances made their appearance for the first time, and in the even ing a large . consignment of eastern rarities, sent by her Majesty. arrived, but the opening of them is deferred. The cash aceeunt for the day stood thus : Season tickets £ 15 16 0 At the doors Total £2,249 2 0 Yesterday morning opened with copious showers, and, as might have been anticipated, the attendant* at the Crystal Palace was limited in the early part of the day, and at noon only 10,076 persons had entered. After 12 o'clock a great increase was perceptible. At one the number of, viaiton had reached 13,747 ; at four, 21,791; and at eve, ,604 persons. The sum received for admission at the doors, the fee being 2s. Gd., was 2,2061. 65., irrespective of 30/. ISt. for season tickets. Her Majesty did not visit the Crystal Palace yesterday. Ihe additions to the Indian portion of the Exhibition are found to include an Oriental throne of state with its canopy, a state palkee or palanquin, elephant state trap ping. and a pair of moorchals. These curiosities, contri buted by her Majesty, were presented to her by the Newab of Nazim. The total number of visitors such day daring the past tel days was: Saturday, Jane 7 Monday, Jose 9 64,190 Tuesda, 10 49,007 Wednes y day Ju , J ne une 11 Tkateday, Jaw 12 hag, Juno LS OONTENTS OF THE GLASS PALACE: BRITISH SILKS AND VELVETS Since our last notice of those beautiful fabrics they have been honoured by the inspection of the royal party, and it was observed that the Queen, on a late visit to tho Exhibition, gave much attentive con sideration to the magnificent articles displayed in Class 13. On resuming our survey we shall commence with the case numbered 30 in this department, occupying, as it does, a prominent position in the gallery to the south-west of the great transept. The case in ques tion contains selected goods, of the manufacture of Marrs. Carter, Vavasour, and Rix, consisting of satin dresses richly fi gured and brocaded, figured poplins, moire antique of various shades, together with a spe cimen of satin that, for lustre, texture, and brilliancy, is equal to anything of the kind hitherto produced. It is of the colour fancifully styled Napoleon blue, and cannot fail, from its hue, no less than from the qualities above indicated, to attract the attention et even the most casual observer. Messrs. 4dning anue damsb wrou tiq ght bot ,h of many samples remarkable for astonishing richness and beauty of design, and for their having been prer dared by the agency of steam; they show, also, a peculiar quality of white ribbon not undeserving et attention. 'here arc of course many more that merit descrip tion equally with those to which we have adverted, but our space precludes a more prolonged digression. There are also in this section of the Exhibition many rich specimens of damasks, brocatellcs, and cabarets, amongst which, conspicuous for the irbeauty and remarkable for their texture, arc those of Mr. W. Grosvenor, who has furnished a large variety of magnificent drapery, for hangings, curtains, &c., in tasteful profusion. Messrs. Harrop, Taylor, and Pearson's (Manchester) silks arc likewise of the highest quality, rich and glossy in texture and beau tiful in hue. The beautiful article, issuing from beneath a golden , rollers, so that not only is the cotton drawn out coronet, and styled par excellence TM Coventry between the rollers, but it is further drawn out ribbon, is unquestionably a miracle of art. The de. when in the act of being spun, by the spindles design is by Mr. T. Clack, a pupil of the School of receding, thus a finer quality of yarn is obtained ; Design ' • it wee drafted by Mr. Robert Barton, and when the threads had been drawn oat from four to the ealoors owe their origin to the skilful dying of five feet, and OB the spindles were being drawn up Messrs. Howe and Co., of Coventry. There are no to the rollers, the threads were wound up on the less than four separate varieties of the pattern, in spindles. This machine was completed iu 1779, but each of which nine distinct genera of flowers are does not seem to have been generally known until discernible. Nor do they consist of those conven-lArkwright's patents were nullified in 1783, owing, it tional and hideous floral monstrosities with which is said, to the obscurity of some of his specifications, we are slready far too familiar ; these flowers only and want of originality in some of the parts. It was seem to lack their native perfume in order to com- • some time before this machine was brought to any plete the delusion they suggest. The weaver's here perfection. It attracted the attention of spinners indeed rivals the limner's art, and the gradations of and mechanics not only in this country but in France shade, the harmonious blending of tints, and' and America, but none of them supply the defects. brilliant effect of the whole, will not speedily . * cur- The most successful and perfect was the self-acting passed, at least in silk. I mule, invented by Mr. Roberts, of Manchester, mod Messrs. Bray furnish specimens illustrative of the first patented in 1825. ordinary ribbon produced at Coventry. Messrs . Cox, I The throstle, which is merely an improvement on Messrs. Caldicott, Messrs. Cope, terton , and ' Arkwright's water frame, is still much used amongst Co., have sent in a great and a lm ost dazzling variety !cotton spinners, though at one time it was thought of rich sesta.% and other ribbons, illustrative of a me- ' likely to be entirely superseded by the mule; yet, - I when the power loom came into use, it was found igeous to use weft of a stronger and smoother • kind of spinning better suited to the water • the mule. The water frame, in its im takes the name of throstle ; the main • • wog aistiii each aide of the machine from a , oq means of belts passing front the cylinder ac spindles. Though cotton skinning had been brought to a high state of perfection before the steam-engine was deemed of any practical value, yet Watt's genius ultimately gave an immense impulse to the cotton manufacture. The first engine which Boulton and Watt applied to a cotton-mill was in the year 1785, the same year that Dr. Cartwright invented the power-loom. With respect to the cotton machinery in the Ex hibition, all we can say is, that the mode of treating cotton there is done by machines just on the same principle as those we have just described; in fact the progress made in cotton spinning since the days of Arkwright, seems to stand in the same relation as the advance made in the steam-engine since the days of Watt. The cotton now-a-days undergoes a number of operations, so that the fibres may `salute better condition to undergo a more perfect proems at spinning, but actually the machines are thesame,exosist that they have kept pace with the gradual improvn ment of mechaniam, rendering the machines mars perfect and delicate in action. Hibbert, Platt, and Sons, exhibit a most extensive and complete set of machinery for the manufacture of cotton. There are two new patent machines for preparing the cotton before carding, the first is called an opening and cotton cleaning machine. The cotton passes between cylinders, which have teeth something like a clod-crusher, only the teeth are more promi nent, and as these revolve they tear open the cotton and the motes and seeds arc effectually removed. The cotton comes out of the machine in a continuous sheet which is rolled up. The other machine iscalled a single scutcher and lap machine ; it is used for taking out the remaining sand and for forming the cotton into laps for the carding machine. This scutcher seems to partake something of the character of a thrashing machine ; there are four beaters, if wo may so call them, set parallel and coneentrical to the axis, which being made to revolve rapidly as the cotton comes into contact with it beats out the remaining motes and sand. Three rolls from the first machine are used for feeding this one. These rolls, in pass ing through the scutcher, are combined into one, forming the laps which feed the cards. The cotton is then ready to undergo the first process of carding by the breaker card ; the slivers from the breaker-cards are then again turned into laps previous to a second operation of card ing, which is done by the finishing cards, the cotton undergoing a double process, simply for the sake of being more perfectly carded, the card ing machines used fur both processes acting on the same principle, the slivers from the finishing cards then pass through the drawing-frame, by which the slivers are repeatedly drawn and doubled to equa lize and strengthen more perfectly the fibres of the cotton. Then follows the process of roving ; in fact, the cotton undergoes a multiplicity of operations, all carried out on principles we have described. There is only one throttle frame used. Judging from what we see in the Exhibition, mule spinning is much more extensively practised than throstle spinning. Karr, Curtis and Madcleyexhibit also an extensive set of patent machines for the manufacture of cotton, but in the main the principles are the same. Here also all the spinning is performed by the mule, which, like the other machines, being patented, embrace cer tain improvements. Sharp exhibits a new patent throatle ; the fly for twisting the thread is done away with, and the spindles are driven by friction pulleys instead of belts, by which means they give increased velocity to the spindles, and save power. It seems curious that the mule should have superseded the threads; no doubt the cause lies in the spindles of the mobs receding from the rollers being capable of producing a finer quality . of yarn, but yet should not the throstle be so improved as to produce yarn of the same quality as the mule. Throttle spinning ap pears a more simple process, the machine is much more simple also in construction, and we should think absorbs much les power in action. In the mule the carriage which is worked backward and forward must absorb a good deal of power, then the threads being drawn out some four or five feet arc rendered more liable to break. Before the yarn is brought to the warping mill the twist or thread is wound on bobbins, warp is the technical term for the yarn ar ranged in the loom previous to being wove. In the mule, the cotton is spun into cope, therefore in this case the twist has to be transferred from cope to bob bins, previous to being . turned into warp. This is rendered unnecessary in the throstle, the twist being immediately wound on bobbins, cops however are what is used in the shuttle for the weft, in fact it is generally understood that the mule is adapted for spinning the weft, the throstle is better adapted to spinning the warp, but still this does not follow in practice, for the mule being still evidently the favourite. As if desirous to avoid disturbing the peaceful ap pearance of this congregation of nations, the several powers of Europe seem to have been particularly careful in withholding specimens of their great en gines of war. Although of late years improvements of such great magnitude have taken place in weapons of destruction that the very dread of calling them into use keeps the world at peace, yet at our Exhi bition we sec but little to bring such matters to our recollection beyond a few fowling-yieces, many even of which would look better in ladies' hands than in those of sportsmen. Belgium and Spain send a few specimens of ordnance, and Russia a few cannon balls. In the English department, some small models of artillery, amongst which those of Captain Tylden, R.A., are remarkable for their work and finish. Of the system of loading . large guns at the breech, we have but one specimen, by . Mr. Gardner, of Lambeth. Although this system is of the greatest antiquity, the amount of initial velocity lost by an imperfect closing of the breech caused it to be discontinued ; but the introduction lately of long range, and an increased accuracy of fire from Fester perfection in the gun, has again led attention to be directed to the subject. About the year 1832 a small gun having a leaden bullet of 107 grains was tried at Turin. In this model the bore was pierced right through the piece, and the breech was crossed horizontally by a quadrilateral hole, where a coin was placed to block up the bottom of the bore, after the piece was loaded. This has been the basis of all subsequent in ventions. The first experiment on a la scale was tried in Savoy on • six-pounder by MM. Freres Jean, which after a few im provements succeeded so well that a similar cell was out at the Mk: kundry, in Sweden, by most casual observer. diem quality of goods, gvneral fancy ribbons, &a when the pow u. Campbell, Harrison, and Lloyd, in the Messrs. Ratliff transmit numerous lain satin, advantageous g cabinet, display divers figured moire striped or scum satin, inlets fancy ci gb asts pla i n . tu s al o ty, a kin( damasks, and some Highland tartans an d n „„„ e d ge d la m bi ng r ib% osi , &so& *aim than t t both in satin and in velvet ; the latter are Berry , 47i rashers, cams , esossoutt air form, ads not aO3l for Oak, tostaft mlikis lama asp — : irmi a A b out . . to be whissa, US the Ha ammaiv• . dies on e lof the colours. If, indeed, any clan tartan, ribbon trimmings for fi g ured gall" nrb°ll:: cYlinder, by m and other similar articles. ary woollen fabric, be contrasted with the to the spindle nem produced in velvet. an astoniahine dif- .Mesa". Sturd y and Turner are the manufacturers y . .. . . •.. • ,__ __ Thnunh mg richnea of of eresury , am pattern produced in velvet, an astonishing dif iletemeewill be instantly perceptible, but the superio rity el the goods more immediately alluded to renders thiededuction still more evident and striking. We sauy Mine OW of these velvets, with a pure white ground inked with lines of purple, red, and blue, as the et the most remarkable. Mr. NM" of Yately, is Hampshire, has a fine spethera d damask silk and English cloth, which will be viewed with peculiar interest when it is known that the embroidery thereupon is wrought in silk the produce of worms actually reared at t ately. The mandeetnre is that of Messrs. Houldsworth. d Manchester. While adverting to the above circa's stance,we maytake occasion to call attention Massey astonishing and gratifying contribution to this dep meet, sent in, as we were informed, by the family of the late Mrs. Whitby, of Newlands, in Hampshire. * lt con slats of a magnificent silken banner, bearing upon its surface a number of carefully designed and beauti fully executed emblematic figures ; and adorned along its margin by a deep and elaborately COIF pounded fringe. Our readers will scarcely te pa pered for the announcement that the whole of doe material here used was spun by silkworms rear= the above lady at her own residence during a of fourteen years. Under her care the cocoons were formed; by her hands their external covering was reeled, and under her immediate superintendeuns 1 1 were all the requisite arrangements conducted to a successful issue. It may not be generally known that, with due diligence, the worms themselves can be bred without much difficulty, even in this variable mad ungenial clime, the main difficulty being to pro- vide them with sufficient sustenance in the form of the leaves of the Philippine mulberry, or morus I *midis, a tree scarcely calculated to withstand the trying viciaeitudeeofour. northern winter. Mrs. Whitby, bowel' er, contrived by judicious cultivation to maintai n a sufficient plantation of these delicate trees for her purpose, and we cannot but pronounce her experi ment to have been most encouraging, notwithstand ing all the difficulties she necessarily had to en counter. Whether the system can be carried out upon an extensive and remunerative scale remains yet to be seen. We have been informed, however, that in more than one locality in the south of Eng land it is still carried on, though, we apprehend, upon a limited scale. Judging from the appearance of the raw silk enclosed in the same case as the ban ner above alluded to, there appears to be no very mate rial difference, in a commercial poiut of view, between the British sample and that imported from China. We must express our perfect approbation of the feelings which actuated the exhibitors in their desire to hold up to honourable example a lady whose ener getic perseverance strove to compass a labour of such great public utility and moment. The banner and the damask accompanying it arc from the looms of Messrs. liouldsworth, whose repu tation as silk manufacturers is deservedly high. Their display, as we anticipated, is extremely beau tiful, and requires patient consideration, as well on account of the richness of their fabrics as of the beauty of their designs. Their silk brocade, and their embroidery of silk upon cloth ground, is appli cable to a variety of purposes for internal decoration, ' and is calculated, from its peculiarly gorgeous ap pearance, greatly to enhance the magnificence of any apartment in which such manufactures may be intro duced. Nor does the price place it beyond the reach of those possessing only moderate means, for the em broidery we so much admire is almost entirely ac compliahed by mechanical means. The same firm have introduced chairbacks of a rich quality of silk, on which, woven by the Jacquard loom, are a variety of figure subjects, such as "Acts of Mercy," &c., all grouped and arranged with very considerable artistic merit. We believe we are cor rect in stating that Messrs. Honldsworth are the only "figure" weavers in the country, a brunch of their business which they seem to have introduced and brought almost to perfection. The eye will not long remain in the vicinity of these goods without turning in admiration to the superb hangings from the same looms. They are distinguisod by various and appropriate titles, and are executed in a diversity of glowing yet harmonious colours. The most successful of these patterns are the " Grand Scroll," the " Mclianthus," and the " Mulberry." The first will no doubt meet with the greatest amount of approbation from the public, while to those of artistic mind and refine ment the last will undoubtedly prove the most ac ceptable. We understood that they wore all de signed by Messrs. Laugher, Dwyer, and Co., a firm justly celebrated for the elegance, freedom, and beauty of their designs. It is undoubtedly cheering to find a marked im provement under this head throughout the present exhibition. A few years ago almost all our patterns were either servile imitations of foreign productions, and not =frequently ludicrous and grotesque in the extreme. The establishment of schools of design in various places has evidently tended to counteract this blemish, and to introduce a new era into our manu factures. Already are the beneficial effects of those establishments perceptible, and in one case (No. 37, Section XIII.) we have an interesting and very creditable display of figured silks, designed and woven by the pupils of the Spitalhelds SchooL We do not mean to affirm that our young artists in this department are yet enabled to vie with the experienced proficicnts of the continental schools. It must be borne in mind, however, that their education has, till of late, been neglected in this behalf, and that the English cha racter is, to a certain degree, devoid of that extraor dinary zeal and determination to excel in his pecu liar vocation so constantly observable in the French, the Swiss, or the German artisan. With them we frequently find that the . paramount object of their existence is to attain eminence in their trade or han dicraft, be it ever so humble, while too frequently our operatives are only intent upon providing for the mere exigencies of the day. Those only who have mixed with the labouring and productive classes of various nations, who have studied their physiology and noted their peculiar idiosyncracies, will be prepared to admit the truth of this observa tion. Our opportun'tie' have been numerous, and it is the confirmed result of frequent and indefati gable researches. Ere we bring this notice to a close we moat not omit to call attention to the very beautiful and pro- fuse display of ribbons, &c., from Coventry. In rib bons, perhaps, it is that our silk manufacturers ap proach more closely than in other branches of the silk trade to the most finished works of France. Coventry, _indeed, has undoubtedly attained, and miens rthdly quailed to keep an exalted ratios. COTTON MACHINERY. The cotton machinery forms one of the most im portant and interesting features, not only in the de partment of machinery in motion, but, perhaps, in the whole Exhibition; important, as the chief manufacture which supports the power of England, and interesting from its history presenting a most strange series of struggles, vicissitudes, and success ful combinations of mechanical genius. One regrets in tracing this history to find those who gave birth to the first ideas of improvement, those who have i most real claim to originality of invention, deserted and ruined in consequence ; whilst others taking up the same ideas and bringing them to perfection have reaped fortunes. Lp to the year 1760, the machines used in thc cot ton manufacture in England were as simple (in prin ciple of action, though not of construction), as those used in India. In 1738, John Kay contrived the fly shuttle, which simply consisted in the weaver chucking the shuttle backward and forward through the warp by means of strings in each hand. This was a groat improve. ment, because one man could then wean, cloth of such width that previously it required two persons to perform the operation. It was first used in the woollen manufacture, and was not generally used by , cotton weavers till 1760. The impossibility of producing a greater quantity and better quality of yarn formed a great impediment to the further progress of the manufacture. One pair of hands being able only to spin one thread, rendered the operation of spinning slow and expensive. Necessity being the mother of Invention, a machine was accord ingly invented, by which from twenty to a thousand threads could be spun at once by a single pair of hands. John Wyatt, it seems, was the inventor of this wonderful machine, generally known as the mode of " spinning by rollers." The first process in the manufacture of cotton before it is spun is to clean it, and then pass it through the carding machine ; carding consists in combing the cotton, that is, dis entangling and straightening the fibres. When the cotton leaves the carding machine, it is in loose rolls called slivers. The operation of spin ning consists in drawing out the cotton, that is, reducing the sliver and then twisting it into a thread. In the machine which Wyatt invented the sliver passed between two rollers, which rcvol‘ el at a certain speed, the sliver again passing between two other rollers revolving at four or five times the speed of the first rollers. By this means the sliver was drawn out in proportion to the difference of speed between the two sets of rollers, and after being thus reduced, the cotton was twisted and wound on a bobbin. A patent was taken out for this machine in the year 1738. The invention is generally attributed to Sir R. Arkwright. In fact, there are a great many per sons who lay claim more or less to being the inventors of spinning by machinery. It is certain that Ark wright got the principle of spinning by rollers from Wyatt; yet it is owing to Arkwright's shrewd per ception, energy, and perseverance that spinning by rollers was perfected, and was found practicable and profitable. Arkwright took out a patent for his spinning machine in 1769. In the year 1770 Hargreaves took out a patent for the spinning jenny ; it is said that Hargreaves got the idea from seing a one-thread machine overturned upon the floor, when both wheel and spindle con tinued to revolve. This threw the spindle from a horizontal into an upright position. It then struck whim that a number of thready might be spun at once, by having a number of spindles placed side by side in an upright position. The spinning jenny, there fore, is a machine by which the roving, which is a loosely twisted thread about the thickness of th.. wick of a candle, is drawn out and spun into a tine thread, or, as it is technically . termed, into yarn. Just in the same way as it is found necessary now adays to improve the permanent way of railways, on account of the rapid advance made in locomotion, so likewise from the advance then made in spinning, was it found necessary to improve the mode of cardinTheg. primitive mode of carding consisted in the workman holding two fiat cards, one in each hand, the cotton was laid on one card, and was combed by the other into a fleecy roll. The great improvement in carding was the introduction of cylindrical cards , which only . required rotatory motion. This im- • provement 11 assigned to Lewis Paul, for which he took out a patent in 1748. Under the , cylinder was fixed a concave card; on the cy linder being worked round, the cotton was combed between the two. Although this was a great t im provement upon the old plan, yet the wool had o be put on the cylinder by the hand, and the machine had to be stopped, to strip off the carding, which was done by a comb. Carding seems to have attained a state of perfection in 1773, in which year Arkwright took out a patent for a series of machines, namely, card- ing, drawing and roving machines. Most of the im provements in the carding machine are to be ascribed' to Arkwright. The machine fed itself, the crank and comb was also a great improvement, stripping the carding off in a continuous fleece, which was con tracted into a sliver, and regularly coiled up in a After the cotton has been carded it has to undergo the process of drawing ; this draws the fibres of the cotton out and equalises the thickness of the carding. It is done by means of rollers already mentioned. The cottonis then brought to the roving frame, which twists the sliver into a thick loose thread, it is, in fact, the first process of spinning. In 1776 Samuel Crompton invented the mule. This machine is a combination of Arkwright's . water frame and Hargreave's jenny, its dimmgmehini foam being that the spindles recede boa the LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, JUNE 14, 1851. [PRICE (DOUBLE SHEET) FOURPENCE. the Berea Wahrendorff. The Swedish government afterwards cast 24-pounders for this purpose. The advantage possessed by this system is, that its manner of loading and small recoil allow of case mates being of less depth, thereby saving expense of earistruction; three men boing sufficient to lead fie stead of six; that they may be used in aims of places till the last extremity, as, by ear► rying off the coin at any time, the gun is rendered unserviceable. In England, Baron Wahrendorrs 24-pounders wore tried at Woolwich on the 17th August, 1842. The object intended was to show how this system, being applied to guns on board ship, tho accidents which sometimes occur from the difficulties of running guns out and in would be ob viated. Although the experiment proved successful, vet the still complicated manner of closing the breech would not allow of its being brought into general use. Mr. Gardner's model, although inge nious, by no means lessens this objection, the mated! mechanical force employed for this purpose being ex- I cessively cumbersome, and the length of lever which he employs, if on the scale of a 24-pounder, would be perplexing. The howitzers and mortars of wrought iron from the Royal Ordnanoe-office, Onate, Spain, are typical of a certain class of artillerists who desire to introduce wrought iron into the service for field guns. Thom are two qualities necessary for "a madness of every zee. which ete, ' ts nactty and hardness of the metal; and the superiority of one piece over another (all other points being similar) is calculated by the quantity which it bears to the other, relative to these two properties. A certain weight is also requisite to prevent too much recoil. Every species of wrought iron presents a fibrous structure, the fibres being more or less distinct, more or less apparent,aceording to the process made use of in the work. In iron beaten with the hammer the grain or the fibres are not so easily discerned, and the bars have a more uniform tenacity in the several directions. By com paring with one another the several processes by which iron is wrought, one comes to this conclusion—that the fibres always form in the direction in which the iron lengthens, and that cohesion is least between those particles which extend the one on the other. All that has been here said with respect to iron is equally . applicable to steel, except that the force of cohesion of steel fur surpasses that of iron Bronze and iron castings, on the contrary, present a uniform force of cohesion in every direction; their structure consisting in an admission of crystallised grains of which th e crystals arc often apparent to the naked eye. Although these wrought-iron guns present apparent advantages, amorn,sa others, of hav ing the direction of the fibre of the iron perpen dicular to the axis of the gun, where the greatest strain from the powder is exercised, yet their objec tions in real service are so great, that their practica bility cannot be admitted. It is difficult to bore them so accurately that no fissure should be made in the metal, which on ramming down the powder might cause ignition. They soon destroy the carriage by the suddenness and ICngth of the recoil. The oxida tion of the bore will so enlarge them as to render them unserviceable, and not the least of these objec tions is the moral effect on the men, front the fear of their bursting. If wrought iron is objectionable in field guns, it is more so in those of large calibre. An almost insurmountable difficulty exists of welding the parts together so perfectly, and an impossibility of ascertaining whether the welds are perfect; for when the bars are of small size, as in gun barrels, the hammering compresses and re-unites the particles, and corrects these defects ; but in large masses, the effects of the hammer do not reach the interior of the mass, which is consequently left open and spongy, although the metal on the surface, and to a slight depth, is compact and fibrous. The shot and shells of cast steel from the Russian imperial works are fine-looking specimens of their projectiles; the hardness of their surface will be valuable in the field, by causing more dependence to be placed on the accuracy of windage. Mr. Krupp's (No. 077, Prussian Saxony) 6-pounder gun from oast steel is a piece of workmanship he may well be proud of, and shows to what perfection of harden ing and density the metal can be brought. Cast steel is made by fusing steel of ce mentation in crucibles, and then mating it, by which means an equability in its texture is obtained. But we confess we should like to see a trial made as to its tenacity. We are not aware of Mr. Krupp's proass, but the brittleness of steel is so great that we doubt whether it would resist any successive charges of powder, and on service the rugged trials 'which it would be put through would soon damage it. Tho beauty of the polish was, however, the ad miration of numbers of our mechanics. In the small arms department we would wish decidedly to give the palm to the French gunmakers. If they have not sent us gun-barrels which compete with Westley Richards's very best—if they are too fond of theore tical improvements, such as their breech-loading fowling-pieces, yet they seem to have used their best endeavours, which is more than can be said for the compartment of English gun makers, who seem so satisfied with being recog nised as the head of their profession in Europe, that it struck us as if it had been too much trouble hr them to show to the public that they are so. In the French department, the guns are arranged with much taste, and amongst others we noticed those of A. Caron, Passage de l'Opera, Paris. Montier Le Page, 11, Rue Richelieu, Paris, and No. 1,166. The care bestowed on the carving of the stocks, some of them being of artistic finish, and the designs for the lock hammers, deserve great credit; but besides these " fusils do luxe," may be seen some good working weapons, which an English sportsman would cot despise. The iron in its density and clearness appears almost on a par with ours, and although perhaps too fond in many cases of Damascus patterns, that by no means takes away from the utility of the weapon. But here we come to a point where the Birmingham manufac turer surpasses the continental one, and that is his preference of practical utility to theoretical improve ments. Duclos, of 47, Rue Richelieu, Paris, sends several specimens of fowling-pieces loading at the breech. They are termed rocking guns, and loaded with an ingenious cartridge which contains the cap, so that by merely placing the cartridge in the piece is loaded. Asa plaything, or to a sportsman in a phea sant cover, it is a pretty weapn, but to the man who goes for hi s shooting to Canad a , Albania, or Hiudoes tan, it would be worse than useless. Constant firing would inevitably cause a certain degree of opening in the moveable joint, which would allow of some of the gas escaping, thereby decreasing the range, and the system of cartridges prevents any alteration in loading, so, whether firing at a snipe or blackeock, you would make use of the same charge, without taking into account that if, by accident, the fulmi nating powder of the cap becomes injured by mois ture, the cartridge is useless. Opposite this handsome-looking cempar . tment of French gunsmiths' shops, is a rack containing half a dozen plain, not to say ugly, muskets. Amongst these, the smallest and ugliest of the lot, would scarcely attract the attention of the passer-by; yet this small ugly weapon, the earabino de Vincennes, a power so magical, that ono scarcely rn e oTs a rn what light to look on it. Yet this small carbine, with a leaden ballet to match in stumpiness of shape, is to change the whole science of warfare. Gunpowder has already taught people to stand at a respectful distance even when their blood was hot, but now they must either remain out of sight or expect certain death. For many years the rifle in general use has been greatly esteemed for its accuracy of aim and the length of its range . ; since the peace, however, a series of experiments have been carried on with a view ofimprovement, and it has been recognised that if spiral grooves in the barrel increased the accuracy of Bring, they diminished the range. It was, there fore, desirable to know what should be the number, the curve, and the shape of the grooves, and which was the most suitable kind of cartridge. With dim objects in view experiments on a large scale have been tried, which added to those of private Individuals have thrown • light upon the Nab- ject, formerly but little dreamt of. These re searches were greatly facilitated by a happy idea of M. Delvigne. Before his time the bullet was forced in by a mallet, but as far back as 1828 he showed how the rifle could be loaded with ease, and yet that the ball should, on its expulsion, hold firmly to the barrel. This consisted simply in giving a chamber to his carbine, by contracting that part of the barrel; the powder was placed in this chamber; a ball having I ha r dly any windage was then put in, and two or three blows from a ramrod flattened it sufficiently to cause it to take the form of the grooves, into which it penetrated when fired. This chamber, however, being found to be attended with much inconvenience, a great number of experiments were tarried on, to endeavour to obviate it, when a simple idea of Colonel Thouvenin, of the French Artillery, overcame all difficulties. This was to fix at the bottom of the bore an iron shank, the argis of I which was the same as that of the bore, and around which shank was placed the powder: the shank stopping the bullet, allowed it to be struck in such manner as to cause the lead to penetrate into the grooves. Colonel Thouvenin carried on a series of experiments with this carbine, in concert with two officers who took part in the important improve ments which occurred afterwards ; these were M. Tersisistr, Captain of Artillery and Professor at the Rifle School of Vincennes, and M. Minie, Captain of 'the Chasseurs d'Orkans, likewise an instructor in the school. Having brought the rifle to this state of perfection, these officers endeavoured to adapt to it the balls of conical shape, which, although by no means a novel idea, had, nevertheless, never been brought to any de cided success. This new field of research appeared to have no limit, for as no one clement in a rifle can be altered without a series of experiments to deter mine its effect upon the other elements, it would be supposed that much time would have been spent be fore obtaining a successful result. However, thanks to the experiense acquired by many yeais of reflection and study, and thanks to the knowledge acquired by M. Minifi of the former researches of M. Delvigne, they soon perfected a rifle with a shank firing a ball of a new form to great advantage. In 1838, M. Lo Capitaine Blois had proposed the important modifi cation of a hollow at the base of the ball in order to throw the centre of gravity more forward. deflect ing upon this, M. 'fainisier thought he could obtain a similar result by hollowing circular grooves ut tho base of the cylinder. These notches he found op posed surfaces perpendicular to the direction of the trajectory to the resistance of the air, by which means the bullet is forced back to the desired direction every time it endeavours to deviate, in tho same manner as a top when spinning. The chief principle involved in this system is to acquire the desired force and to conquer the resistance of the . air by increasing the weight of the projectile and diminishing the charge. To show the power of these weapons, M. Tumisier had a rifle made with a calibre of 12 minim., firing a ball having seven grooves and 48 minim. in length. This idle car ried a thousand yards, and the bullet at that dis tance had sufficient strength to penetruto into hard wood a depth of ti centimes. In fact, se great is their range, that it has been found necessary to give them a fixed tangent scale, as in field guns, to obtain the angle of elevation. In these rifles the position of the pock is rather dis pleasing to the sight, being of such great length and laying over so much ; but this is to obtain a direct communication with the charge, utility being pre ferred to appearance. The series of experiments carried on with this conical ball, or rather cylindro conical, showed that by improvements in the bullet and a very simple process invented by M. Miele, the shank could he done away with, and this suppression has been found to give greater range and accuracy in tiring. Although much clamour has been at various times raised against the government for their inattention to the improvement of fire-arms, we doubt whether any government has given fairer trials to every new system, but there is a great dislike to incerring expense in what may afterwards prove a failure. Dunng the last month, however, M. Millie't4 rifles upon trial at NVoolwich, were found to be so vastly superior to anything hitherto tried, that thirty thousand were at once ordered to be constructed at Enfield. To what may not this small rifle and ball lead. It is evident that this new principle will be adopted in course of time for field guns, for other wise if small arms are given an increased range of so great a nature and that guns remain as they are, gunners will be picked off at their guns one by one, without being üble to keep the enemy at a distance, for distances in the late war will be distanced in the next. Then must the whole train of ammunition waggons be not only altered but vastly increased; in fact, the very thought of so much change bewil ders one. Among our English gunmakers who turned their attention to improvements in the rifle were Mr. Lan caster, of London, and Mr. Greener, of Birmingham; but although they adapted the conical-shaped bullet, they seemed to have thuught that the shape of the bullet was immaterial, compared with the improve. meat in the rifling, hence their failure in obtaining complete success, Mr. Lancaster using a ball re sembling a sugar loaf with an indented ring round it. Still, the application which they gave to the subject reflects the greatest credit on them. Of the Irish makers, Messrs. Truloek and Rigby keep up the reputation of the Dublin workmen, Rigby's rifles being equal to anything which the London makers can furnish, and they have a better display of weapons. Mr. Trulock also shows some conical halls, which come nearer to the French than any we have seen, being sphero-conical with two indentures at the base. Amongst other subjects which show the increased attention which our makers pay to the scientific principles of gunnery is the number who have applied the principle of central fire, by which means greater rapidity is obtained in ignition, for as it .ins in the centre of the charge, it is sooner diffused throughout, and the bullet consequently obtains a greater quantity of initial velocity at the moment of impulsion. Mr. Osborne, of Birmingham, exhibits a pretty weapon of this description. There arc also many exhibitor' of safety-locks, but the best safety-lock is common prudence. In duck guns, Mr. Greener and Colonel Hawker have come into competition. The colonel's principle of waterproof ignition is not equal, how ever, to Mr. Greener's : the nipple being preserved from damp by a head which screws on, and which re quires,when used, to be taken off; whilst Mr. Greener has his right behind thebrooch, thereby preserving the advantage of the central fire ' and both trigger and nipple being constantly covered with a brass plate moving on a hinge, which keeps them safe from wet. His application of a double recoil acting on the trunnions deserves attention. But for sporting on a largescale, Mr. Greener gives us several specimens of his harpoon gun. Since the year 1731 guns have been occasionally . used for the purpose of shooting whales, but their construction having been rather of a dangerous nature, it was not until 1772 that an improved one was introduced with effect. The Society of Arts took much interest in the ques tion, giving rewards to the best whale shots, and Mr. Greener has now in extensive use, a weapon throwing a harpoon nine pounds in weight and a rope of some eighty yards in length; but besides its application to the whale fishery, it can be used with effect for casting apparatus to a ship in distiess, throwing a line three hundred yards in length, to which, in the night time, a rocket can be attached, instead of the harpoon. Although a few revolving guns met our gaze, amongst vrhichwere some sanguinary-looking blunder busses (No. 220), yet we can well spare them, as our neighbours on the other side of the Atlantic have sent us a whole inundation of them. Caring little about the length of range, they are fond of some thing with which they can riddle • man's body in. st . wara second; and the nature of their t . alsanst .:-,, always against barbarona tribes Got .. ) ~z , 42 .: - • • . !.; !"...