Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-11-30 00:00:00

ENGLAND V. AMERICA.

The rapid and varied improvements which have taken
place of late years, in the art of ship-building, bath in
Great Britain and the United States, where swift and
monster " clipper" and " Leviathan" steamers attest the
peaceful rivalry between the two greatest commercial
nations of the world, have nattrally stimulated the
exertions of the ope manufacturers of both hemispheres,
and we are glad to find that in this important department of
trade, connected with the building of ships, that our towns-
men keep pace e ith the progressive spirit of the age. Though
aware het recently very great improvements had been made
in the rope manufacture, as evidenced by the results of
experiments at the Corporation Testing Machines, in July
last, we were s:Arcely prepared for the giant !tilde which
appears to have been taken by Messrs Wilcox and Co., of
Bootle, in regard to the various operations connected with
the spinniog of Manilla and Ressian hemp, by patent
machinery, of American invention. On Wednesday and
Thursday last, we had an opportunity of witnessing a
series of experiments at the Corporation Testing Estab-
lishment, with a view to test the strength of the rope
spun by Messrs. Wilcox, as compared with former trials of
rope spun by other manufacturers. The above-mentioned
trials- in July last, certainly demonstrated the, great
improvements effected in the manufacture of rope spun in
this town, but Messrs. Wilcox, by the adoption of American
machinery, in their own works at Bootle, proved most
decidedly that the rope they manufacture is in every way
superior to that previously tested here.
The old process of rope-making by hand involves not
only a number of tedious operations, but a large amount of
exposure to the weather, and other inconveniences which
are entirely avoided by the patent machinery in use at
Messrs. Wilcox and Co.'s establishment. The operations
of heckling dressing, and spinning ars conducted in large
rooms fitted up with the requisite appliances, and
assimilating very much in their arrangements to the
pr.,cess of cotton-spinning. One marked and important
feature about Messrs. W.'s manufacture is the heckling by
machinery, by which means not only is greater expedition
obtained, but the fibres themselves are brought out at
full length (and not in any way broken and cut as in the
old process), while much greater fineness and tenuity are
secured. Taese remarks apply bath to Manilla and
Russian hemp. Another interesting and important part
of the process consists in the improvements adopted in the
mode of tarring the Russian hemp, the chief peculiarity of
these improvements being that instead of the hauls being
tarred en masse as previously, each particular thread is
separately tarred by being drawn through a tar pan heated
by steam. Thus, when the threads are removed from the
pan to the bobbins, they are ready at once to be spun into
ropes, whereas under the old plan a considerable time
cught to elapse between the tarring and spinning process.
The machines themselves are perfect specimens of
mechanical ingenui7, and an inspection of them would
well repay all who are interested in mechanical operations.
Before giving the results of the tests, it may be as well
to premise that the Corporation testing machine is of
immense power. and capable of proving cables to the extent
of 140 tons, though it is seldom used at that high strength.
On Wednesday and Thursday, when the ropes manufactured
by Messrs. Wilcox and Co. were tested, the following re-
sults were obtained :
W. WILCOX AND co.'s MANILLA REMP ROPE.
Tons. Cwts.
31 inches in circumference broke at
Russian Hemp Rope, 3,......,
One Strand of above Russian (31 in) .. 2 11

GARNOCK, BIBBY AND CO.'S MANILLA HEMP ROPE•
Tone. Cwte.

3 inches in circumference broke at., 5
Russian Hemp Rye, 31.
.

Thus it will be seen' hat the results, as compared with
the trial of Messrs. Garnock, Bibby and Co.'s patent ropes,
shows a marked superiority on the part of those manufac-
tured by Messrs. Wilcox ani Co.'s patent American
.machinery On the present occasion a piece of Manilla
rope of Messrs Wilcox's manufacture—of 32 inches cir-
cumferenco—stood the power of the testing machine up to
8 tons 3 cwt , and then only one strand gave way ; while
that of Messrs. Garnock, Bibby and Co., of the same size,
es tested in July last, broke at 5 tons 17 cwt.
Messrs. Wilcox's Russian hemp rope was now
brought forward, of the same size-32 inches—
acrain pre-eminent, bearing the test up to G tons 8 cwts.,
while M -ssrs. Garnock, Bibby, and. Co.'s was broken at
4 tons 15 cwts. A. single strand of the above Russian
hemp, spun by Messrs. Wilcox, was then tried, and
actu illy sustained a tension of 2 tons 11 cwts, thus proving
the decided superiority of the make by the new American
patent.
The immense ad Ition to the strength of this rope must
be attributed to the exceeding regularity of each fibre,
yarn, and strand, which we have never seen equalled.

SENDING DANGSROUS GOODS BY RAILWAY.-:—SalllUel
Bradbury, fruiterer, was summoned beton the Birmingham
magistrates on Tuesdar, for having on the 16th instant,
s >tit a hamper to the Lyndon and North-Western Railway
Company, containing a q iantity of lucifer matches, to be
left at the Hereford Station till callei for, without giving
notice to the cmapany. Mr. Wilson, from the office of
hiessra. Colmore and Beale, attended on behalf of the
prosecution, and stated that the c Ise was one of a very
serious character ; •that the defendant had given to Messrs.
Crowley and Co., two hampers, which were in due course
delivered at the company's station at Daddebtm Row,
without any notice whatever of the clatenta; that in
consequence of the smell arising from • the matches. the
company's servants, by virtue of the authority in the act
of Parliament, had opined one of the hampers, when it
was fuund to contain about a gross of boxes of matches,
packed amongst onions, in a very careless manner, and that
the company was bound to protect itself from similar
attempts at fraud, and to avert the serious results which
not unfrequsnt!y happened by parties sending dangerous
goods without notice, and he therefore pressed for the full
penalty of £2O. The defendant admitted the offence, and
was fined £2O and costs, and in default of payment, was
ordered to be imprisoned in the house of correction for
seven days,—iirmiqhain Daily Pros.