The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-01-08 00:00:00

THE CHAIN WHEEL.

This is an invention of the Chinese, and used by that
ingenious and industrious people in the mechanism they
make use of in irrigating their fertile fields ; drawings and
descriptions of which are to be met with in alnico every
book of modern geography, and have evidently giverr the
idea of the tread-mill (that hue engine of cruelty, bow at
work in the neighbourhood of London) to some mean-
souled mechanic. ilirheels of this plan were first introduced,
into Europe by wandering French Jesuits, and were used
in raising water out of the river Seine, for the benefit of ,
the inhabitants of Paris. Afterwards they were brought
to Britain, and used under various modifications, as in
mines with slanting shafts, deepening of harbours, and
clockworks.

About ten or fifteen years ago, st-httanblet millwright in
Scotland, of the name ef Gfitone, vilinked never beard,
of the chain-wheel, or of any of its modifications, gave 10
the arts a variety of it, of great value ' • this was that ,Teg..
known article in thrashing machines called the " travang
shaker," which not only conveys the straw away to a
house, from the place it is thrashed, but also shakes out
any grain that may be among it, thereby saving much la-
hour to the husbandman. _

When he found this answer its end so well, he applied
the chain-wheel to another purpose--the bucketwhiel ;
thus furnishing an outer wheel to mills, which required
less water to drive or turn it than the one which it dis-
displaced—the common circle wheel. For these useful in-
ventiona he received a medal and a premium from the
Agricultural Society of Scotland.
Still he thought that more might be done with this.
wheel. He accordingly set about applying it to the better
propelling of steam-boats ; and having fixed his chairM
with paddles on them, to the sides of a large row-boat, lie
tried how things might succeed on a lake in his neigh-
bourhood. The paddle-wheels were turned by the hands
of men, and the engineer was astonished at the velocity
with which the boat. ploughed the fluid. Having noted
this, as to the time it took in sailing a certain distance, he
took Off the paddle-wheels, and affixed on the common
sort; but the boat with these on, though the same power
was given them, was three times longer in sailing the
distapee. What a difference was here! The same ex-
periment was tried in one of the Liverpool docks, and
the result was the same.

By the aid of a friend, a patent was taken out, but no
proprietor of steam-boats could be found willing enough to
exchange the old plan for the new. So the thing rests:
an invention that would be of the greatest benefit is here
laid aside; an invention equally secure with the other,
one which makes far less noise when going, can be made
with less expense, and answeis the purpose three times
better, is considered nonsense !—lfechatifei Magazine.

COUNTERFEIT COIN.—A few days since the proprietors
of the Blue Coach Office, at Woodbridge Suffolk, received direc-
tions from the Solicitor to the Mint to detain any person who should ,
call for a parcel directed to "Mary Manning, at the coach-office,
Woodbridge, till called for." Oa Tuesday the 30th ult. a woman
come and inquired for such a parcel, and a small fish-basket so
I directed was accordingly delivered to her, but she was immediately
followed, and taken before Mm. Carthew, in whose presence the
basket was opened and examined, and fined to contain a quantity
of counterfeit half-crowns and shillings, neatly executed, ant care-
fully wrapped in silver paper, with a large paving stone ctincealed
in some bay. It is hardly necessary to add, that Mary Manning,
who appears to be a stranger In the neighbourhood, was committed
for further examination, fur having counterfeit coin in her posses-
, slow.—Sitfidir Paper.
llare a NG Palsow.—On Friday morning, between six
and seven o'clock, John Cheney, committed for the burglary at
Alderton Rectory, and who had before broken out of 11'ymendham
house of correction, succeeded in making his escape even front our
well-constructed gaol. The prisoners bang summoned to divine
service, he eluded observation, and instead of entering the chapel,
went into the yard, and set up against the palisades a bench in
which he had inserted pegs for his feet; got over, and drew it after
him into the garden. Ile there found a garden line, which he at.
'ached to a watering-pot, and throwing it over the wall, had
reached the top, by means of the bench, when he was seen by a
turnkey. Ile was ordered to come back, but lowered himself b
the line on the outside, and ran off: A pursuit immediately took
place, but the fugitive forded the rivulet into the Vine-fields, and
it is supposed concealed himself in a plantation. He was however
taken on Saturday noon at Needham, near Harlcaton, by Mr. F.
Clark, jun. who was returning from the search on the 't armouth
coach, and recognized the man walking deliberately on the road.—
Bore Port.
At et Nr.—A frightful accider.t happened about twelve
o'clock on Friday night, near to Civet Bridge, Durham, which
providentially, however, has not been productive of the loss of hu-
man life. Thomas Lamb, chaise-driver to Mr. Thwaites, of the
Queen's Head Inn, having returned from a journey, took his
chaise and pair of heroes, as is a usual practice, to wash them in
the river. No sooner had he plunged into the stream than he found
it much swollen, and his heroes beyond their depths ; he imme-
diately called for assistance, when several persons ran to the spot,
among others a young man named Megglson, who mounted the
roof of the chaise. Scarcely had he taken this situation, when the
chaise and horses were borne away by the flood, and he with diffi-
culty reached the shore, after having born carried considerably be-
low Flvet Bridge. Lamb had previously got ashore. The chaise
and drowned horses now lie on the stakes below Frsuna ellgate
Bridge.—Durhans Chronicle.
Last week a man named John llodson, of Chatteris, fell
down, and cut his hand, which brought on a lock jaw, and oc-
casioned his death.