The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-04-28 00:00:00

POLYTECHNIC SOCIETY.

The usual monthly meeting of this society was held,
last night, in the Royal Institution, Colquitt street, Mr. J.
Boult, president, in the chair.

Tne folloWtng gentlemen were elected members of the
socie:y W. F. Fraser, 19, M )ss street ; Ntr. 11. B.
Gaakell ; Ales,Ts. Taylor, Temple Conrt ; Mc B. Wrigley,
16, 09.4t1e street ; Mr. Henry Moore, Clarendon Buildingi,
Tit hebl,rne bireOt.

Mr. Arnott exhibited a portion of the Transatlantic tele-
graph wire now being manufactured at the works of Messrs.
Newell, in Birkenhead, which he had been presented
with by Mr. Bright, and read an extract from a paper read
at the meeting ot the Royal Institute of Engineers held on
the 20. h instant, the Duke of Northumberland presiding.
The Lower was by the well known telegraphic engineer,
Mr. W Brete and the extract. was as follows: --‘elt was
some two yeare•since, when !if,: Faraday Was explaining
the subject of induction, that a fact was named to him of
a current being obtained from a length of 300 miles of
gutta psyche, covered wire half an hour after contact with
the battery. I remember speaking to him on the subject,
and enquiring it he did not believe this difficulty was to
be overc me, and I received from him every etc enrage-
ment to lope it might; hut it at once became
necessary that this point should be cleared up, or it
would be folly to pursue the suleject of the union of
Ameri..a with this country b electricity. lat once
earnestly urg-d on Mr. Whitehonse to take up this sub-
ject, and pursue it indepedently of every other experiment.
and a suceessfill result was at last arrived at on 1,000
miles and upwards of a continuous litre in the submarine
wires in the several cables, when lying in the docks. It
did not rest upon one but many thou-end exoerimenrs ;it
Was further pro red on 2,000 miles of subrerrenean wire
in the presence of Professor Morse, while in this country,
and beets from 230 t) 270 per minute were recorded,
or equal to twelve or fifteen words per minute. In
the Atlantic cable the copper or cendueing wire is
compeeed of seven twistel wires formed into one, thus
avoiding the danger of a flaw, which any single wire
might be subject to ; th e 3 separate coats of gutta percha
are then laid one over the other, the wire being thus in-
sulated. This gutta percha core passes and repasses in
the coarse of its manufacture no less ;,ban 40,000 miles.
The outer iron wires, of .which there are 126 to each
mile, are twisted into strands each contaimig seven
wires, making an aggregeie of 315,000 miles to toe 2,500
Miles of cable. The con,truction of the cable is under the
control of Messrs. 13rig'r and Whitehouse. The ultima, e
Union of America wi Europe by electrici,v may now be
considered a certainty. Providence has pieced this object
Within our reach ; there are no practical impossibilities
in the way of its accomplishment ; and ih me united with
us in the undertaking do not regard the means required in
Comparison to the good to be accomplished."
Me Scott, of the Tranmere Foundry, then proceeded to
read his paper on "Homogeneous Metal," a ree•hod of
preparing iron so as to augment ;els lieuedness and all
those qualities which render it
valuable for manufacturing
and engineering purpotp:,. Among other qualities, he
represe .tai the res.fa, of the experiments, as shouting that
in ni3ilellb lit° it Was fully equal to copper, and that it
stood an;
Low- • amount of hammering or bending, whereas
r aoor iron, of the same thiekoese, speedily gave wav
...ader the like circumstances. lie regarded the iron pre-
pared At Ida, the plan he explained as equal to the best
brands of Swedish iron. The cost, weight foe weight,
would.be double that of ordinary English iron ; and, con•
siderihg that it b tre twice the pressure, and exerted twice
the force, might be considered equal io point of cost.
Specimens of the iron were exhibitedeand seemed to be
possessed of great malleability and strength.
Mr.:Alderman Bennett and other gentlemen considered
the discovery a mo et valuable one, but ex pressed themselves
as not sufficiently informed, in reference to it, to pronounce
a decisive opinion on its qualities.
Thanks were voted to Mr. Scott, after which the meeting
separated.