The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-05-03 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES

Sir,—ln reply to Mr. Williams's letter in your Wednes-
day's paper, I trust you will allow me space to say, that like
all monopolists he is never satisfied. That gentleman has
hail a perfect monopoly of the Health Commissioners, Ad-
miralty, and public at large, with the ample capital of a public
company, abundant personal means, and every other advantage
for developing the practical results of his smoke invention for
a period of sixteen years, and I now ask that gentleman to
inform the public where his apparatus may be seen in full
operation, except in that costly model which embodies other
men's merits, and is exhibited at the City of Dublin Com-
pany's Works, Clarence Dock.
Mr. William has had the good fortune to continue in the
office of chairman to a public company, which has had in its
hands the largest steam-boat traffic in Europe, while I can
only boast of being a practical engineer of twenty years
standing, and relying altogether en my character and practical
knowledge, which I may add, are not wholly unknown to the
first engineers in the three kingdoms, nor to Mr. Williams
himself as a consulting engineer in Liverpool ; and I have
the gratification of knowing that I have given perfect
satisfaction to all those who have acted on my advice.
I may, therefore, be excused when I tell Mr. Williams
that all he knows of smoke prevention he has gleaned from
the writings of Holloway and others, and from the specification
of patentees like myself. Mr. Williams's specification, as
published in Newton's London Journal and Repertory of Arts,
Sciences, and Manufactures of 1840, page 413, states, " I do
not claim the introduction of air to the bridge ;" but I do
claim the hollow air bridge as constructed and shown in my
patent ; and though Mr. Williams says air was admitted
through the bridge by others. I defy him to show me a bridge
constructed on my piinciplo, or which secures the same chemi-
cal results in the combustion of coal without deranging itself or
destroying the boiler. But how does Mr. Williams avail
himself of the ideas of others, with regard to the introduction
of air to the bridge-furnace doors, and increasing the current of
air by an artificial blast? Why, he specially adopted the
use, construction, and application of the perforated air distri-
butors, by which the atmospheric air more immediately and
intimately blended with the combustible gases generated in the
furnaces. Here Mr. Williams leaves the public in ignorance
as to how the thing is applied. Referring to his diagrams, it
will be fonnd he uses small pipes in his flues, which, in practice,
soon become choked with soot and other refuse, and are worse
than useless. All who have tried his apparatus have discovered
this to their cost. Again, how does Mr. 'Williams adopt his
principal to the invasion of patentees' rights Ile has a
moveable bridge of fire clay or brick, placed on the bars for the
purpose of enlarging or lessening ,the fireplace : this being the
bridge which ho now calls the perforated box, and assumes to
place at any point where necessary to secure combustion, thus
depriving patentees of the merit and profit of their inventions.

As chairman of st public company, Mr. Williams ought not
to infringe upon any man's right ; and I caution him and the
public not to trespass upon mine. I do not only claim a
hollow perforated bridge, capable of radiating sufficient air for
combustion, brit I also claim the use of slots and radiating
boxes on my furnace doors, and the admission of air at the
dead plate, anti au entirely new arrangement of fire bars, to
preserve them from destruction ; all of which I apply, as a
practical engineer, understanding all the conditions with which
I have to contend, and not as an amateur, writing tor fame,
and endeavouring to appropriate the inventions of Wore practical
men:

It is only after sixteen years blundering that Mr. Williams
now understands, from my furnace, and the plans of others,
what a furnace should be, and then writes art essay on smoke,
letailing all the information afforded by the records of the
patent office, and his own industrious observation of what I
and other practical men were doing.
Not to trespass further on your space (since I have answered
Mr. Willaim's silly remarks, as I think, to the satiJactiou of
all practical men), I shall, henceforth, degline having any
further correspondence with quacks, who seek to draw business
men into discussions, that he may pick their brains, and
astonish the world with the taste of his borrowed plumage.—
Yours, sze., SIMON O'REGAN.
B, South Castle-street.