The Press.
London, England, 1858-11-06 00:00:00

THE PRESS, NOVEMBER 6, 1858.

Diphtheria, which is often called " throat disease,"
has prevailed in some districts of the south, and has
now extended northwards. It has been fatal in the
Horncastle district, Lincolnshire; prevalent in
Newark ; and several children have died of the disease
in Sheffield. Districts of the East Riding and of the
North Riding of Yorkshire have been visited by the
epidemic diphtheria.

THE FRENCH PRINTING-OFFICES, according to the
Patrie, amount to 1,037, which employ 9,500 com-
positors, 3,000 pressmen, and 900 correctors and
overseers. The average annual number of works
printed is 8,000. The produce of the whole is esti-
mated at twenty.five millions of francs. Thus the
whole printing power of France is considerably below
that of London.

THE PRINCE OF OUDE is still at Cairo, leading a
very retired life, and but seldom seen abroad. The
young prince is residing at the house of an English
shawl merchant, a 3lahomedan from Lahore, who
for several years has been established in Egypt.

FIREPROOF FLOORS.—An admirable invention, which
appears to us to afford perfect security against the
lamentable destruction of property and loss of life
which have of late marked the occurrence of fires in
both the metropolis and the provinces, has been pa-
tented by Mr. Cheyne, member of the Institute of
Civil Engineers. Mr. Cheyne's floor consists of a
combination of malleable iron joists, corrugated iron
sheets, and concrete or cement, so arranged that the
ceiling of each room is converted into one sheet of
iron, and thus so effectually preventing all passage
of fire that the destruction of property cannot possi-
bly extend beyond the room in which the fire origin.
ates. The concrete is used mainly as a bed for
slips of wood, to which the floor is nailed. In weight
the entire floor is less than double that of the ordi-
nary dangerous one of timber now in use, while in
thickness it is one-half less—a material .dvantage
where height in rooms is a desideratum. The patent
may be applied with equal facility to the largest
warehouse or the most modest cottage ; and with
regard to both, the invention acquires enhanced im-
portance from the custom now so prevalent among
builders of ventilating floors by lateral draughts,
which materially increase both the risk of fire and
its intensity. A drawing has been forwarded to us,
and any number, we are informed, may be obtained
at Mr. Cheyne's offices, $4, Great George-street.
For the information of the unprofessional reader we
may explain that corrugated iron is sheeted iron,
formed into a series of carves, giving to each curved
portion the strength of an arch, without materially
increasing the weight.

THE AMERICAN HOTEL SYSTEM appears to be just
being brought into organization by corporate enter-
prize in this country; and from the extraordinary
success which has attended the first experiment so
boldly and ably made at Paddington, it seems pro
bable that it will ultimately be carried out to a large
extent. The Opera Colonnade Hotel, for many
years well known as Ftuillade's, has been purchased
by a company, whose advertisement appears in
another part of our impression of today, and who will
have so far an advantage over the other schemes of a
like nature that are in oontemplation or progress,
that they are in a position at once to commence
operations.