The Express.
London, England, 1864-11-25 00:00:00

IKON SHIP-BUILDING.

The second meeting of the Society of Arts for the
arson took place on Wednesday at their house, John-West,
'A 11e preemie. of Mae Duke of Somerset, se dude-
in
zln.ad the of the subject discussed by Mr.
notwithstanding the inclemency of the
weather, a wry f attendance. Amongst the members of
wawa peewit were Sit F. Sandford, Mr. Haines, Mr. Bad.
kin, Mr. Osaham, do. After the usual priffinuoarie
Mr.Farallette proceeded to read his paper "On the BAIL
w ean of iron to the purposes al nairal conetructioe."
• gleam at the ancient bleary of the warlike uses of iron,
the works of the Tubal Clans of former times, the blades of
Daewoo., he., the lecturer arrived rapidly at the year
Inwlien Oat introduced the paddling furnace and the
sad bar iron. Iron canal boats were, he said,
la=tioarlat,t t e eesweenceestre of the peewee
century, and in 1822 the Hawley Company built
the • Aaron ihianley," which wee sent up to Loudon
is sections, and navigated to Havre and Paris
by the late Admiral Napier. In 1828, Mr. Houston built
• light boat of iron for pawners, and there was ea inter-
regnum in iron shipbuilding until the government employed
him (Mr. Pereira) to make experiments on the effects of
rapid traction on the banks of canals, when several iron via
iseL were built. The lecturer then detailed the experiments
for ascertaining the tenacity of iron plates, when the mean
was ascertained to be 10.22 tons the square inch ; and hay-
ing minutely detailed the various promises used in iron ship-
building, and pointed out the sources of weakness that had
to be guarded naiad, be see to the conclusion that " •
careful distribution of the material is • desideratum of ow-
eiderahle importance in shipbuilding ; and although it may
be necemary in some constructions to make deviations, it ie
neverthekes essential that the law ri strains should be care-
fullbserved, and week points carefully guarded against."
The Plasminrr haring invited diacussioo,
°epee Herineser gave his opinion, after twenty yen'
experience in India, that iron yowls were not adapted for
river navigation.
Mr. Hawiraflaw observed that in his judgment the sys-
tem of " punching" iron plates ought to be superseded ny
" drilling ;" and that if the Britehnebridge had beau put
together by drills instead of by punches the increase of
strength would have been 24 per cent. With respect to
the employment of iron in the construction of ships of war,
the preliminary quetion must be /rattled, of whether the
armour were to form part of the ship, or to be donned
and doffed es occasion might require. Until that point
was settled they could not determine what ought to be the
proper form of a ship of war. He did not see why the
armour of • ship should not be conducive to its strength.
With respect to targets, their construction need not occupy
scientific commentary any length of time. All they had to
do was to get a piece of iron of the bat description, and as
lake an anvil in shape as possible • but the question was
how you were to encase that piece of iron into • ship's
side. (Haar, hear.)
Mr. German thought that drills might he best for
bridges and girders, but preferred punches for shipbuilding.
The great question for them to decide was whether their
ships of war should be built of iron or wood. Some were
for the joint use of the two materials, but he thought the
junction was unfortunate. The use of iron was, he believed,
established as the best ; the only question they had now to
decide we, how they were to get rid of the foaling. He
believed that the whole navy would long ere this have been
built of iron if the fading difficulty could have best get rid
of. He was is favour of makes the iron armour part al
the strength of the ship ; and with report to the fouling,
the result of forty years' experience was, that they were as
far from having the question settled as ever. Iron ships
sheathed with wood, and coppered ur to the water line, had
been found hest to avoid fouling. His plan would be to
build • skip entirely of iron, and sheath it with copper up
to the water line.

Hr. Rocauseen observed that Westphalian iron bore a
greater strain than any of the kinds of English iron which
had been esuinerated, and suggested that steel might be
advantageously used in the framework of men-of-war.
Captain SELWYN, R.N., said that in a seaway a vessel
was seldom supported stem and stern by two waves, as she
by her own weight settled down in a medium line of nota-
tion. The way in which vessels were mat strewed was by
driving them against a head see, in which ease the bow was
sure to be shot into the air, musing a strain of the greatest
possible intensity. As to wood sheathing to armour-plated
vessels, he would remark that in an action the wood would
be set on fire by the shells in lama than ten minutes, and the
smoke would render the working of the ship impossible.
* The Duke of Somrasre then nee to propose a vote of
theists to the lecturer. They bad had amy interesting
diseamiou, and be was sure the society meat admit that
the Admiralty was placed in some difficulty with respect to
this queetteo. (Hear, hear.) They had been called upon
at a very short notice to prepare the best ships of war, and
DOW they were told by men who had devoted all their Ives
to the subject that the question of which was best was in
as great a state of ustertaisty as ever. (A Wash.) They
were told to get the best Woo end the best projectiles, but
Dr. Percy in his metallurgy said that the met iron was very
imperfect. Then as to the tests. Did they know how far
the tests injured the iron • or WWII they to put an iron ship
with her stem and stern resting us rocks to see whether
she would break in the middle! (A laugh.) Were they sum
that in testing cables they would not injure them! (Hear.)
Were they to get iron plates and steel projectiles, and fire
one against the other! Did they know what such experimenta
would cost! It would be thus seen that the Admiralty had
still some difficulties to encounter. (Hear, hear.) Then as to
ships of war. They had been told to build them of iron ; but
now it was suggested that they should be built of iron and
covered with wood. He hoped to have the subject more
fully discussed in a future lecture, and for the present would
only observe that the experiments at Shoeburyeem had
shown that it was necessery to have DOM wood behind the
iron.

The vote of thanks having been agreed to,
Mr. FAIIIIAIRI made • few observations in acknowledg-
ment, and the sitting terminated.

Mango OT MIDDLLSZX MAGISTRATES. A
general meeting of the magistrates of the county of Middle-
sex was held yesterday at the Semions•house, Clericsowell-
green • Henry Pownall in the chair. After the minutes
were ;sad, the Chairman announced the death of Mr. Nese
Wright, who had fora period of twentyfive years efficiently
and faithfully discharged the duties of crier at these sessions.
The death occurred soon after the last county day.
Be had appointed Messrs. Rumbelow and Sawyer (the
former is a candidate for the vacancy), two old officers
of the county, and who had been previously doing
the duty, to officiate pro kit. He would then suggest
that the matter be referred to the committee
to inquire if say sod what alterstMos might
be necessary in the duties of the Mike, end that
sdvertisements for candidates be dispensed with, as be
thought there was already in the SWIM* of the county a
person well qualified to discharge the duties of the office.
and to advertise would only be to give trouble to both oan-
&date* and magistrates.. Mr. Kemahead concurred, and the
suggestion was unanimously adopted. Mr. Serjesnt Payne
said, as the most off emus terms had been amid towards him
in consequeoce of a statement which he had made at the
last court day in reference to the seduction of nuns by a
Roman catholic priest, be now reiterated the statement, sad
said, it took place at Turin in 1860. The chairman said the
question wee not before the amt. Mr. Swift rose,
and wished to make some observations, but the chair
man ruled that he was out of order, and he at doers.
Sir Alexander Spearnani, chairman of the committee of
visitors of the Hanwell Lunatic Asylum, moved, "That
it having become neosesary to relieve the river Brent and
the meal from the sewage of the asylum, and it being de-
sirable to utilise the sewage upon the land of the asylum
under cultivatioo, a sum not exceeding 1,5001. be granted
by the court for the purpose of providing. the requisite
Val. apparatus, steam engine, collecting
ta and works for tarrying into effect a plan
for the ntilhatio: of the sewage of the asylum which has
been approved of by the committee." The motion, having
boa sioaaded, was, after • brief discussion, unanimously
agreed to. After the transaction of the natal routine be
the court adjourned.
GRAPES TROY Tlii UNITED STAVE& —Fresh-grown
ha been shipped from New York to this country,
Leedom'.
Cray re
of experiment, to lbws. Keeling sad Hut. of
_ -

Cough, Asthma, Conaunaptioa, Indigestion
p•pda• Debility, Constipation, Namur Now" liver sad
Stoma complaints, are priestly cared without smedistaa in-
COOVIIIIIK•014 or expense. by Da Parry's &Maras lerlants
Ambles Food, whirls Nara fifty rase its oat In saw reardies.
KM cares annually.—Da Barry and Co.. No. 71. iligeniPreZ London. W. In tins, lib ><9d. ; 1111 b., ifs., at sAI grosn
chemists.--(AdviatlarasoLl