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

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 figured 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 tiqght 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 almost 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 cigbasts plain . tusaloty, a kin(
damasks, and some Highland tartans and n„„„ edged lambing rib%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— :irmia About . .
to be whissa, US the Ha ammaiv• . dies on e
lof the colours. If, indeed, any clan tartan, ribbon trimmings for figured gall" nrb°ll::
cYlinder, by m
and other similar articles.
ary woollen fabric, be contrasted with theto the spindle
nem produced in velvet. an astoniahine dif- .Mesa". Sturdy and Turner are the manufacturers
y . .. . . •.. • ,__ __ Thnunh mg