The Express.
London, England, 1853-12-08 00:00:00

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SOCIETY OF ART&-ukErr LAMP&

The members of the Society of Arta held their
usual meeting last night, Mr. H. Chester in the chair.
Dr. OVA I.lt read a paver use • new safety lamp for mines,
Mended by himself. After some pref..tory remark , Dr.
Glover stated that Dr. Clsnny was the first to conceive the
ides, is IMOh, of a safety lamp to burn in mines. In the
"u paper by him on the *eject was read to the
)toyal Societe, and publiducl in the " Philosophical
Initiations." Dr. Clanny's first lamp, although cum-
brous, was quite safe. His plan was to insulate the light
by means of water, and to supply the flame with
sir by a bellows. Sir lihtupbrey Davy, before the
production of his win-gaunt lamp. proposed four
others, all mudifications of that of Dr. Clanny. At
length his attenuon was drawn to the researches of Ten•
mat, "On Flame. •' Tennant, of Cenehrilge, had disco-
vered that el .me would p along tub, a in a ?PAO COM-
poondtd of their breadth and length. The small., the
garotte, the shorter would be the length that flame could
traverse. Davy improved open the idea, and with that
ham sad sagacious genius which belonged to this wonder.
ful man, came to the conclusion that wire gsuse was as It
were an abstraction of this principle, and that here we had
tubes of the 'hottest possible length, and narrowest diame-
ter. Hence hie nivel:lion of the safety lamp. Hut after
the invention of toe wire-gauge safety lamp, certain jasper-
ketiuns began gradually to reveal themselves. In the first
plate it was found to give so little light that the pitmen
seizedevery opportunity of removing the gauze, tin. jog, in
pent of fact, that their work cou'id sot be done with the
imperfect light. And, in the second place, the great fact
began to be developed, that this lamp, however secure in a
still atmosphere, was not safe in a current.
After describing the efforts of Dr. Manny and Mr.
Muster to improve on the Davy I .mp, which to a certain
'mot were successful, Dr. Glover proceeded to describe his
own inventiou. Toe ohjeciion to the improved Classy
lamp is that the glen, with which it is surrounded, is liable
to fracture from a drop of water falling on it when heated.
Tu remedy this defect as far as possible, the present lamp
his been ineentod. hutted of the single glue ci tinder of
the Clean; lamp, a double cylinder is used. The outer
cylinder is a quarter of au inch thick, the Meer one a good
stout glass, • full eighth of au inch. The air to feed the
me eaters at the top of both, through wire gauss, and
passes downward between them, entering the inner cylinder
through gauge. The double cylinder, kept packed as it
were together by the gauze, is thus much stronger than •
smile use would be, and the double cylinder is a double
protection, as if either cylinder be broken the lamp is stills
eat: lamp, end there would bo time at least to remove the
lamp and replace the injured cylindi r, which could easily
be dove, all the glasses for the elitfi rent lamp• being of the
maw gauge. The current between the glasses keep. the outer
cylinuer cool, so that it can always be in the hand, while
• Slieseter or Chinn,' gets soon so hot that it would burn the
Leh. The light is even superior to the Clancy, owing pro-
bably to the more perfect combustion, the air anteing the
inner cylinder at the bottom. In the interior of the wire
geese cylinder is placed • tin cane ; the object of this is to
fora the air to enter the lamp through the two glass cylin-
den, and so to regulate the supply of air as to make the
lamp selkitinguishing in so explosive mixture. The wire
ears. could he done without, and a tin or coiip.r tube sub-
stituted with holes et the top, an in the Elvin lamp ; but in
practise we find that such a tube gets hot, and it is thought
that it is an advantage to have the whale lamp as cool es
possible. Dr. Glover stated that the lamp was used in
mines, and hail been approved of by practical men.
A discussion ensued, in which Mr. GI en, Mr. Martin
Roberts, Mr. Byr..n, and Mr. Johnson took part. The last
n.ceed geu.lemati appeared on behalf of Mr. T. V. Hall, of
Neweastle•un-floe, who is else), as well as Messrs. Roberts
61111. Byron, the inventor of improved gaiety lenses.
The thanks( the sociaty were voted *.e Dr. Glover, for
his tatermai paper.