The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-23 00:00:00

THE GREAT PALS HOUSE,KEW.

Yesterday a number of gentlemen interested in horti-
culture, &c. visited the extensive establishment of
Messrs. Weeks, of King's-road, Chelsea, for the purpose
of witnessing the results obtained in the heating of large
building., G 0.... ,et.vales, z&e., by the introduction of
their new apparatus. The visit was rendered the more
interesting by the fact that the Messrs. Weeks have pub-
lished a notice in which they state they are doing as
and pits at Messrs. Weeks's
much work with one boiler a., is being done with four
boilers at Kew, and that with three, or at meet four, of
a saying of about 1,1001.
such as they have now in use the great Palm-house at
Kew could be heated at a cost is fuel and labour of
are complete in every department, and
per annum.
eBndn.
upwer. deli;
measure in length
1,000 feet, while the surface of ela,
exposed to the
atmosphere is 16,000 feet. The whole consists of con-
servatories, green-houses, hothouses, and severa,
1 pits
• effecting
houses
with top and bottom heat, all Appropriated to their
several purposes. The length of pipes to heat the whole is
but 5,000 feet, and the fuel consumed in 24 hours during
the winter months, at a cost of 3s. per day, is 3 sacks of
coke, while the boiler requires attention only once in 12
hours, and then but for one hour, thus occupying a man
no more than two hours out of the el
• -, at a computed
cost of Bd. per day. The great Palm 'louse at Kew,
measuring in length 355 feet, with a surface of glass ex-
posed to the atmosphere of e,200 feet, requires 15,000
feet of pipe to heat it, and consumes in 24 hours,
during the winter months, 72 sacks of fuel (being two
parts coke and one part coal), at a cost of 6/. 12s. per
day. The boilers, 12 in Dumber, occupy the whole at-
tention of two men by day and one by night, at a cost
of about 10s. per day. Until very lately, there were
six boilers of various sizes, but all on the same principle,
employed at Messrs. Weeks's to heat the different
houses and pits, and altnough those boilers were found
to be efficient and economical during
night years, each
doing three times more work than the common descrip-
tion of boiler, recent improvements convinced the in-
ventors that important results were attainable by sub-
stituting ore boiler for 6, and now the whole of the es-
tablishment is heated effectually by one boiler, 5 feet
high by 3 feet 6 inches in diameter. The whole of the
several houses and pits can be heated at one time or
separately, with a full command of heat and regulated
at pleasure.

Some delay is expected to take place in the departure
of the next New York steamer, the Pacific, which is
fixed to sail from Liverpool on Saturday, not having yet
arrived from America. She is now several days over-
due, but it is supposed her date of sailing from New
York may have been deferred on account of frost
•
or fog.

Tho Duke of Wellington, 131, flag-ship for Rear-Ad-
miral the Hon. Richard S. Dundas, C. 8., Commander-
in-Chief of the Baltic fleet, will be taken to Portsmouth
as soon as she is refitted for the next campaign, by the
Captain of the Fleet (the Hon. F. T. Pelham), who is
now cruising in the Exmouth, 90, to test her efficiency.
The Lightning steam-vessel, at present at Woolwich, is
to be appropriated as a tender to the Duke for the ser-
vice of the Admiral in communicating with the fleet, and
for postal and other purposes.
The R•Ial George, 102, screw, haulded out of Sheer-
nesshgar
seeo
Trti
slcnTleergt
James
cubaalsenitia,;trss itcsakovhi tintar:okti
alterations
rlniat:nghtsiehoctreniheerseewg.
greatun guns and
d i
ffi c
basin on Tuesday. Her crew are turned over to
ulty t provisionsthere ras fast
n Captainthe s
bt Elliott,
ns udnodeekr;
Portsmouth, at the hands of the contractors, Messrs.
Bolton and Watts. They were bound to the Govern-
ment to furnish engines properly constructed, and for
a certain time. The contractors are now engaged in
making•such alterations in the machinery as to be of a
satisfactory nature, and which will take about ten days
to carry into effect.
The Exmouth, 80, screw, Captain the Hen. F. Pel-
ham, returned to the Sound on Wednesday from her trial
kip. The results are said to be most unsatisfactory ; she
rolls terribly ; her mainyard broke off short, and all the
crockery in the cabins, &c., smashed. Nothing that
possessed the slightest liberty could be kept in its place.
Her steam machinery is said to be all out of order.
The Majestic, screw, 81, Captain Hope, C. 8., hauled
out of No. 3 dry dock, Sheerness, on Tuesday. • Yester-
day preparations were made to haul her into the stream.
She has taken in a fortnight's provisions for her crew,
who will be drafted to her immediately she gets' Out.
She i. onfirely in thn hands of flea o.nrinooro
week and she will be fit for sea.
The Cressy, screw, 81, Captain Warren, is sneered off
Sheerness, with her topgallantmasts housed, ready for
sea.

The Russell, 60, block-ship, Captain Scott, was under
the sheers yesterday at Sheerness, hoisting in her three
high-pressure engines, each 11 tons. They are working
at her night and day; and in spite of the inclement state
of the weather, her rigging, kc., progresses fast. The
boilers in question are heisted in end on, to go down the
hatchways easier, when by another tackle on the centre
they cant and go into their places.
The Imperieuse, 51, screw, Captain R. B. Watson,
has hauled over from the coal depot to alongside her
berthing hulk, Victorious.
The Amphion, screw, 36 guns, Captain Key, is at
Sheerness. Preparation has been made to haul her out
to-day, when she will go under the sheers and whip her
new masts on board. The rigging is all ready, and she
has a fine crew, who will soon get her ready in that de-
partment. The machinery is the oily thing that will
detain her, but they are working at her night and day.
The Horatio, screw frigate, Hon. Captain Cochrane,
is moored over on the west shore. All her guns are gone
to Chatham, and will he supplied, we hear, by two Lan-
caster mortars. In consequence of the ice this ship was
in distress latterly for bread, which, however, was got
off yesterday.
The Pylades, screw corvette, 22, Captain G. E.
D'Eyncourt, is still in Sheerness basin ; she progresses
fast both in rigging and machinery department. Every
possible despatch is being given to get this smart vessel
ready for sea.
The Desperate, screw, 8, Conasaander R. White, is in
No. 1 dry-dock, Sheerness. Her bottom is not at all
injured, and she will haul out this week. The slight
defects are in the pipes, which are a little corroded, &c.
She is only partly manned, with her topmasts struck.
The Driver, paddle, is surrounded with huge masses
of ice, off Sheerness. Yesterday afternoon she was
hauled through it. She will go into No. 3 dry-deck, to
have her bottom overhauled, as she has been on shore
several times whilst in the Baltic service. _ _

The Porcupine, steamer, Commander Jackson, is in
the harbour at Sheerness, waiting orders, &c.
The Lizard, paddle, Lieut. Christopher, is in Sheer-
AIMS harbour, making good her defects, &c.
The Janus, paddle, Lieut. Kane, is also in the harbour,
waiting orders, cite.
The Cuckoo, paddle, Lieut. Augustus Murray, is in
harbour.