The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-11-03 00:00:00

IMPORTANT TRIAL OF A NEW WATER
POWER APPARATUS.
Yesterday afternoon a number of gentlemen, including
the representatives of the local press, the Shipping
Gazette, the London Times, Mr. Jordan, surveyor for
the underwriters, a surveyor from Lloyd's, and ether
scientific gentlemen, assembled on board the flat Joseph,
'in the George's Basin, for the purpose of witnessing the
trial of a new water-power apparatus, invented and
patented by Mr. R:ohert Formby, a Liverpool shipowner.
The apparatus is applicable to the working of ships'
pumps and winches, and to many other useful purposes.
Before detailing the result of the trial, we will give
general description of the apparatus. The screw weighs
39lbs, and is 26 inches in diameter. It is formed of
two semi-discs placed on a wrought-iron boss, at an
angle of 45 degrees to the line of the axis. The semi-
discs or fans are each made of two pieces of No. 18
sheet iron, rivetted round the circular edge, but left open
at the base',. They are affixed to the boss by its wings
being passed between the two pieces of sheet iron,
of which the fans are made, and bolting them
together with screw, beats, and nuts. The fans
crux be easily removed, and in the event of their sus-
taming fin: accident, new ones can be substituted in a
few
minutes. The chain which is attached to the
machine is formed of rods made of -a iron, eighteen
inches long, and so pointed that it will not twist like an
ordinary
chain or rope. It is aixty feet in length, and
weighs about 751bs. The weight of the whole appratus
suitable for a ship of 500 tons is not mote than between
three and four cwt.. and it may be put into a box about
e
six feet long by 21,- feet deep and wide. At the trial
yesterday the flat was towed from the basin up the riverl
for a considerable distance against the tide; the steamer
was then put about, and the flat towed with the tide
nearly to the Canada Dock, when she returned to the
George's Basin. During this time the steamer went at
various rates, from two knots per hour up to full speed.
The body of water thrown out by the pumps worked
ley the screw was very large. It was the opinion of all
who witnessed the experiment that the pumps were
worked as fast and more steadily than they would have
been by eight men, The general impression produced
was certainly favourable, aid there appears to be every
likelihood of the apparatus coming into extensive use.
The resistance offered by the screw to the ship's progress
is very` trifling ; on a voyage to Calcutta, even supposing
it to be towed the whole way, it would not lengthen the
voyage more than sixteen hours. When it is remem-
bered, however, that the working of the pumps of a
leaky ship knocks up the crew so that full sail cannot
be carried, it will easily be seen that, instead of
lengthening the voyage, this apparatus will tend very
much to' shorten it. The power may be conveyed from
the fixed bearing at the stern of the ship up to the
pumps in variotts ways; for instance, along the bul-
warks either inside or outside, or along the deck, as may
be considered most convenient to the particular ship in
which the apparatus is adopted. The apparatus used at
the trial yesterday was made by Messrs. Bathgate and
Wilson, of the Canning Foundry.

1: LIVERPOOL POLICE COURT.—YESTERDAY.
, . • (Before Mr. RAFFLES.)
DESPERATE ASSAULT BY A WOMAN.
Bridget Begley, a powerful-looking woman, about
fifty years of age, who lives in North-street, was charged
under the following' circumstances. John Jones, a
barman in Lane's public-house, Manchester-street, said
the' prisoner entered the house on Thursday, in a state
of intoxication, and wanted drink. He refused to serve
her with any, when she created a disturbance. He
went to put her out, and left her outside the door ; she
returned, and seized a water bottle that was on the
counter, and endeavoured to throw it at him, but she
was put out again, but returned, and seizing a glass
tumbler that was on the counter, flung it at him,
inflicting a' deep cut on his left eye, and another across
his nose. The prisoner, in answer to the charge, said
she was quite sober, and that the complainant was
struck by a man aad not by her, but both assertions
were disproved by witnesses, His Worship said it was
an outrageous assault, and one' that might have injured
the young man for life. He fined her £5 or two
months' imprisonment.
EFFECTS OF THE ELECTIONS!
At' unusual number of persons, who came within the
circle of what is termed "respectable," were brought up,
some charged with being drunk and disorderly, some
for being simply " drunk," and others being merely
"booked for safety." Curing enough all were taken
up about Pembroke ,place. The excuse in every case
was, that the parties were engaged at the elections on
Thursday, and the excitement hail a great effect on
them. In cases where the parties had money booked to
them, they were fined in sums of from 2s. 6d. to 55., but
where the " needful" was not forthcoming, the " un-
fortunates" were discharged.
STEALING FROM A SHIP.
Two young men, named John M'Carthy, anal John
Esling, were charged with having stolen a quantity of
ship stores, from the store-room of the Donald. Mclz,:ny.
It appeared that the prisoners had been at work on .
board the ship, and that the store-room had been broken
open, and the ship keeper caught the prisoners leaving
fhe vessel with the property. Mr. Parker, for the
prisoners, contended that any one else might have taken
the property as well as his clients, although it was got
in their possession. His worship not agreeing in this
view of the case', sent the prisoners (on their pleading
guilty, notwithstanding the strenuous effort of their
advocate to make them appear innocent) to gaol for
three months.
CAUTION TO PERSONS DISCHARGING PISTOLS, &c.
IN THE STREET.
In the case where a boy, named Isaac Sharman, was
charged with having discharged a pistol on the day of the
procession, and wounding two lads in Shaw's-brow, the
boy, was brought up again yesterday, when Mr. Raffles
directed Mr. Kehoe to make an order to have every one
who was found• discharging arms in the streets brought
before him, and he would deal with such persons severely,
as the practice was a most dangerous one and must be
put a stop to. In the present case the boy was again
discharged on recognizance. One of' the injured lads is
not yet able to leave the hospital.
VIOLENT ASSAULT ON A PUBLICAN'S WIFE.
Edward Fitzackerly, described as an engineer, in the
employment of the London and North Western Railway
Company, was charged with having committed a violent
assault on Mrs. Walsh, the wife of a publican
Chatsworth-street, Edge-hill. Mr. Cobb defended.
The complainant said on the night of the 18th October,
about a quarter or twenty minutes to twelve, I went
outside to put up the shutters, when the prisoner came
out of the house, where he had been for some time, and
asked me to draw him more drink, which I refused to
do, and then he struck me a violent blow on the fore-
head with a cane that he had in his hand, inflicting a
serious wound on me, so that I was not able to be out
since. Cross-examined by Mr. Cobb. The doctor was
with me twice since that time; I did not drink Billy
Brown's health that night. Mr. Cobb : What, not
drink his health on the opening of the new library ?
No, sir. Mr. Cobb : Was there not a regular jollifica-
tion on the occasion ? Na, there was not. Mr. Cobb :
Was your husband drunk ? No. Were you drunk ?
Witness (indignantly) : No, I never was drunk in my
life, and I think it is a very impertinent question to ask
me. Mr. Raffles : But you see there are questions that
must be asked when people come here to tell the truth.
Do you know the man ? Yes, I saw him before in the
house. Mr. Cobb, said he did not deny the lady had
been assaulted, but he denied that his client had been
the person' who did so. Mr. Walsh was examined, and
swore that the prisoner was the man who assaulted his
wife. He (Mr. Walsh) was as sober at the time as at
that moment. Joseph Jackson, a joiner, also swore
positively that the prisoner struck Mrs. Walsh. Mr.
Cobb produced 'a woman to s,:,,kv that the prisoner
could not have been at Chatsworth-street at the time
stated; as she alleged he was then at Stnithdown-lane.
Mr. Raffles said, after the positive swearing of three'
witnesses, be could not come to any other conclusion
but that the prisoner was the man who bad injured
Mrs. Walsh. Mr. Cobb said perhaps Mr. Walsh would
not wish to punish the man. Mr.. Walsh said, I would
be the last man in the world to punish another, but
here this man has left a permanent injury for life on
my wife. Mr. Raffles : Well, let the case stand until
to-morrow, and let the doctor who attended her be here
to'describe the injuries. The case stands accordingly.